Moving Forward: Timbers Sign Club América Star Jonathan "Cabecita" Rodriguez
The official signing of the Uruguayan international ends months of Designated Player speculation.
The Portland Timbers finally have their new forward, signing Jonathan “Cabecita” Rodriguez from Liga MX’s Club América.
The deal runs through the 2026 season with a club option in 2027, occupying a Designated Player spot.
Timbers’ leadership originally gave a “7-10 day” timeframe for a new signing about a month ago, with Cabecita and C.F Monterrey’s German Berterame emerging as two of three front runners in the race to sign a new striker. Berterame was seemingly the number one choice for the club but dropped out of the race a few weeks ago.
It’s reported that the Timbers signed Cabecita on a contract worth around $4M, much less than Berterame’s reported $15m, and leaves room for a potential signing in the summer.
Cabecita is a bonafide champion, winning three titles and recording 94 goals across an eight season career in Liga MX while playing for clubs Santos Laguna, Cruz Azul, and most recently Club América. He also played a season with Portuguese Primera Liga side Benfica in 2015 and had a brief stint playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, recording one goal in eight appearances. Among other individual accomplishments, he’s been the recipient of the Liga MX Golden Boot, Balón de Oro, as well as earning a Liga MX All-Star appearance.
Rodriguez also made 31 appearances for his home country Uruguay, recording three international goals.
Cabecita would likely be placed in the central forward spot replacing Felipe Mora in the current roster formation, working alongside wingers Santiago Moreno and Antony. He played mostly on the left wing at Club America but can play on either side, and this versatility makes him a danger in attack in three areas whenever he’s healthy. Dairon Asprilla would likely become a substitute in this scenario as well.
At age 30, Rodriguez brings a wealth of experience to the squad and will make an immediate impact. The two year contract with a player option is perfect for a player his age, and the leadership he brings will help get the Timbers back to their seat at the champions table. A few of his highlights are below:
Portland has made serious moves this year, boosting everything from the back end with Maxime Crepeau and Kamal Miller right up to the front with Cabecita. The organization skipped the rebuild period and went right into play-off prep, showing an urgency to win after two consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. Last week showed there are still some kinks to work out, with Evander’s consistency and Juan David Mosquera’s defending ability being two key hurdles, but the Timbers are off to a much better than expected start and Cabecita might just be the missing piece they needed to make a good team great.
The Timbers play the Philadelphia Union at home Saturday, March 23rd at 7:30pm. The match is available to stream on Apple TV+ and on radio at 750 The Game.