This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Real Salt Lake has found its backup No. 9.

On Monday, the club officially announced the signing of MLS veteran striker Chad Barrett, filling out an offseason need the front office made clear it needed to do at the conclusion of 2016. The move becomes official four days after RSL general manager Craig Waibel said the organization had reached verbal agreements with both Barrett, a free agent, and former RSL center back David Horst.

"Chad is a hard-working competitor with a nose for the goal," Waibel said in a statement. "He's proven throughout his career that he can be an impact player either as a starter or off the bench and we're happy to add him to the locker room."

RSL will be Barrett's seventh MLS club since coming into the league in 2005 with the Chicago Fire. Most recently, the 31-year-old journeyman forward spent the 2016 season with the San Jose Earthquakes where he scored two goals and had one assist in 20 appearances. Barrett played a large role his previous two years with the Seattle Sounders, netting 12 goals in 2014 and 2015, primarily as a dependable goal-scorer off the bench.

The UCLA product ranks 35th all-time in MLS history with 58 goals. Barrett has also netted 31 assists in 275 career regular-season matches. Barrett ranks seventh overall among active MLS players in goals scored.

Barrett's signing provides RSL with a reliable, veteran scoring option as a center target forward. In recent years, the club has struggled to provide an adequate scoring punch from that position behind current starter Yura Movsisyan and Alvaro Saborio before him.

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani