St. Louis CITY SC Receives New England Center Back Henry Kessler for Tim Parker and GAM

St. Louis CITY SC traded defender Tim Parker and $600,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money to New England Revolution in exchange for defender Henry Kessler. CITY SC will retain half of Henry Kessler’s 2024 club salary budget charge.

Kessler and Parker are both cup tied and can’t play for either team’s Leagues Cup matches.

“Henry is a quality center back with national team experience since being drafted in 2020,” said Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel. “He is an aggressive defender and his vision with the ball will make him a great addition to our defense.”

Kessler, New England’s first-round pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, has made 98 regular season appearances, 88 starts, and scored four goals, with six additional starts in the postseason.

On the international level, Kessler has been capped twice by the United States Men’s National Team. The New York City native made his United States debut during the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, helping the Stars and Stripes win their seventh Gold Cup title.

“I want to thank Tim for his entire time here in St. Louis, both on and off the pitch,” said Pfannenstiel. “As a vice captain, his voice and the way he carried himself is almost irreplaceable. Tim’s intensity and his memorable goals will cemented in St. Louis CITY history. We wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

Parker was acquired from Houston via trade during the 2022 MLS Expansion draft and has cemented his name in CITY SC history in multiple ways. The Hicksville, New York, native scored the club’s first goal against Austin in the 2023 MLS regular-season opener, the first in the MLS playoffs against Sporting Kansas City and recently the first Concacaf Champions Cup goal against Houston. He tallied six goals and featured in 53 matches across all competitions for St. Louis.

TRANSACTION: St. Louis CITY SC traded defender Tim Parker and $600,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money to New England Revolution in exchange for defender Henry Kessler. CITY SC will retain half of Henry Kessler’s 2024 club salary budget charge.

HENRY KESSLER
Position: Defender
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Country: United States
Birthdate: 06/25/1998
Age: 26
Height: 6'4''
Weight: 185 lbs
Previous Club: New England Revolution