The arrival of English forward Wayne Rooney led to the departure of Patrick Mullins from D.C. United on Wednesday.
The club dealt forward Mullins to Columbus Crew SC, receiving $150,000 in targeted allocation money in return.
"Patrick is a proven goalscorer who is dangerous inside the box and has a solid track record in MLS in his first five seasons," Columbus head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter said. "We believe that he brings a valuable skill set that will allow him to add depth to our attack and we look forward to integrating him into the team."
D.C. general manager Dave Kasper said in a statement, "This move will provide us with assets and flexibility for future moves. We wish Mullins the best in Columbus and thank him for his service to the club."
Mullins, 26, was in his third season with D.C. United, and he had appeared in 10 games (two starts), producing no goals and one assist. He played in a total of 34 games the previous two years, starting a total of 24 times while recording 13 goals and two assists.
After twice winning the Hermann Trophy as the nation's best collegiate player while at the University of Maryland, Mullins was selected 11th overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the Revolution. He played one season in New England before playing two seasons with New York City FC.
In 96 MLS games (53 starts), Mullins has 23 goals and nine assists.
Rooney officially joined D.C. United on Tuesday in a transfer from Everton of the English Premier League. The 32-year-old began and ended his EPL career with Everton in his hometown of Liverpool, but in between he became the all-time leading scorer for Manchester United and the England national team.
The Crew sit in fourth place in MLS' Eastern Conference, while D.C. United are in last place in the East.