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Shalrie Joseph Traded By New England Revolution for Blair Gavin, Draft Pick

The New England Revolution made a major move on Wednesday.

The Revs traded club captain Shalrie Joseph to Chivas USA for Blair Gavin, a draft pick and allocation money.

The deal ends Joseph's nearly decade-long tenure with the Revolution. The 34-year-old midfielder departs as the team's all-time leader in appearances and minutes played. He is an eight-time MLS All-Star and received Best XI (all-league) recognition four times.

"Trading Shalrie was a not a decision we made easily," New England general manager Michael Burns said. "Shalrie has been one of the faces of the club for a decade, but we had to take a hard look at our roster and decide where we needed to be as we look toward the future.

"With this trade, we gain a significant amount of roster flexibility and add a player in Blair Gavin who has great potential, an additional draft pick next year, plus allocation money –- all of which provides us options to improve the team," Burns added.

Gavin, 23, was a first-round draft pick in 2010. The former Akron University standout played in the midfield for Chivas USA and was also a U.S. international at the U-18 and U-20 levels. He played 43 times for Chivas USA, scoring three goals and adding five assists.

The Revolution host Chivas USA on Aug. 29. It is likely that Gavin and Joseph will face their former teammates.

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Photo via Flickr/nerevolution