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FC Cincinnati add former Houston Dynamo FC goal-scorer Corey Baird

pat brennan, cincinnati enquirer
·4 min read

Update: FC Cincinnati on Thursday announced the acquisition of forward Corey Baird, a free agent, for a contract through 2025 with an option year in 2026.

Baird comes to Cincinnati for the 2024 season after a career-best 2023 in which he scored 14 goals and appeared in 48 games (both across all competitions).

Laird had eight goals and six assists in MLS matches.

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Baird should help replace some of the goals FC Cincinnati lost in the transfer of Brandon Vazquez to CF Monterrey of Mexico. It's unclear if Baird is the full-time replacement for Vazquez but Baird is capable of starting for some or all of the season, and could come off the bench as well.

Houston Dynamo forward Corey Baird has 28 career goals to go along with 25 assists over 161 regular-season appearances. Baird, 27, had eight goals and six assists in MLS play last season, both career highs.
Houston Dynamo forward Corey Baird has 28 career goals to go along with 25 assists over 161 regular-season appearances. Baird, 27, had eight goals and six assists in MLS play last season, both career highs.

“I couldn't be more excited to join FC Cincinnati and meet the fans and my teammates,” Baird said in a team news release. “It’s really exciting to join a club with one of the best fanbases and the best stadiums in the league, and I can’t wait to challenge for trophies this year. My first game of the season was at TQL Stadium last year, and the place was rocking. I’m looking forward to being on the other side of things and have those fans on our side.”

Previous reporting: FC Cincinnati is making significant progress toward plugging the expected absence of Brandon Vazquez.

In need of forward reinforcements due to Vazquez's pending departure, FC Cincinnati is closing in on acquiring former Houston Dynamo FC forward Corey Baird, sources close to the situation confirmed to The Enquirer on Friday. An agreement hadn't been finalized as of Friday but there was confidence that a deal would be reached, the sources stated.

More: FC Cincinnati finalizing Brandon Vazquez transfer to Mexico's CF Monterrey

More: See which FC Cincinnati players were called up for USMNT January camp

Baird, 27, is a veteran of seven Major League Soccer seasons whose numbers and recent output indicate he could serve as a starter for a championship-caliber team, or as a head-turning bench hand.

The Athletic's Tom Bogert first reported Cincinnati was close to signing Baird.

Baird has 28 career goals to go along with 25 assists over 161 regular-season appearances. The Stanford product is coming off a 2023 campaign with Houston, which was a Western Conference finalist and U.S. Open Cup champion, in which he tallied eight goals and six assists − both career highs.

Baird's career year made him one of the more desirable prizes from this year's MLS free-agent class, and his acquisition would put FC Cincinnati in a solid position with Vazquez set to depart for Mexico's CF Monterrey.

The acquisition of Baird would give FCC four forward players (Vazquez's transfer to Monterrey hasn't been announced by Cincinnati yet), putting him in a group with Aaron Boupendza, Arquimides Ordonez and Sergio Santos.

Baird started 28 matches for the Dynamo in 2023. That amount of starts for a trophy-winning Dynamo FC side along with his scoring output suggest he'll be a starting option in two-forward formations for at least the early portion of 2024, and longer if necessary.

The hole next to Boupendza is a big one to fill. Baird's 14 goals across all competitions in 2023, which compares well to Vazquez's 17 scores across all competitions, show he's capable of filling it.

FC Cincinnati will likely need at least one further player at the forward position. The club will have the assets available to chase big-money reinforcements, too, so Baird could become one of the more impressive bench options in MLS if the club went in that direction. As that could be a pursuit that stretched into the regular season, Baird would then be expected to carry a heavier scoring burden at the outset of the regular-season and in early-round CONCACAF Champions Cup play.

The news of the possible Baird signing was met with enthusiasm from FC Cincinnati supporters on social media. As of Friday night, General Manager Chris Albright and the club were only a few days removed from announcing the acquisition of center back Miles Robinson.

The addition of Corey Baird would be the second big acquisition by FC Cincinnati this week, following the signing of center back Miles Robinson (12).
The addition of Corey Baird would be the second big acquisition by FC Cincinnati this week, following the signing of center back Miles Robinson (12).

FC Cincinnati was expected to encounter challenging personnel situations this offseason following its best-ever campaign in 2023. That's come to fruition but the early responses are roundly positive to Vazquez's expected transfer fee, acquiring Robinson, and the possible acquisition of Baird.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati add former Houston Dynamo FC goal-scorer Corey Baird