The Timbers have signed free agent Brandon Bye. The defender played the last eight seasons with the New England Revolution.
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers have signed free agent defender Brandon Bye, the club announced today. Bye is set to join the Timbers through December 2027, with a club option through June 2028.
“We are pleased with the addition of Brandon, and we look forward to welcoming him to the Portland Timbers,” said Timbers General Manager Ned Grabavoy. “Brandon provides us with an experienced option across our backline as we look to strengthen our defensive group ahead of next season. His ability and experience will help drive competition, and we believe he will settle in quickly with our group.”
Bye, 30, joins Portland ahead of his ninth season in MLS. Since being drafted eighth overall by the New England Revolution in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, the defender has made 192 regular season appearances (161 starts), recording 10 goals and 18 assists across eight seasons for the Revs. Most recently, Bye logged 26 appearances (12 starts) in the 2025 campaign for New England.
“Brandon is a brilliant defender who brings a wealth of experience and success,” Timbers head coach Phil Neville shared. “His athletic ability and skill has stood out to me since my time in this league, and I’m confident he’s going to add competition at his position and will raise the standards in the locker room.”
A native of Kalamazoo, Mich., Bye played four seasons of college soccer for the Western Michigan University Broncos prior to his 2018 MLS SuperDraft selection. Collegiately, he amassed 22 goals and 19 assists in 67 appearances (62 starts) and over 5,000 minutes played. Notably, he became the first MLS SuperDraft selection in Western Michigan’s history.
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Transaction: Timbers sign free agent defender Brandon Bye through December 2027 with a club option through June 2028.
Brandon Bye
Full name: Brandon Bye
Position: Defender
Height: 6-0
Date of Birth: November 29, 1995
Age: 30
Birthplace: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Last Club: New England Revolution
Timbers 2026 Roster (as of Dec. 22)
Goalkeepers (3): Trey Muse, James Pantemis, Hunter Sulte
Defenders (8): Brandon Bye, Jimer Fory, Sawyer Jura, Zac McGraw, Kamal Miller, Juan Mosquera, Ian Smith, Finn Surman
Midfielders (5): David Ayala, Diego Chara, David Da Costa, Omir Fernandez, Joao Ortiz
Forwards (7): Antony, Gage Guerra, Kevin Kelsy, Ariel Lassiter, Felipe Mora, Jonathan Rodríguez, Kristoffer Velde
