The writing is on the wall, looks like Droid is gone. You guys are going to like this Brunner kid. I remember when NY signed him early out of school and then with the screwball MLS rules back then couldn't sign him so he wound up playing second division ball until CLB could sign him. He's solid. I have always liked this guy. Real good locker room guy too. Trust me-fits in well with our team. Great, I mean freaking great pick up right now on paper.
According to Ortiz, Ching's option date is in January, not now like most others, and is for a very BIG salary amount. I suspect he has a high option so that when all of the Montreal shenanigans were going on and he had a $400k guarantee for 2012, they had to put in a bogus high 2013 option so the players union could look the other way, . . . I mean approve Ching taking a cut in 2012 pay. No way we exercise a high option. We could decline and then renegotiate.
Waiver Draft is Dec 7 and 14. The transfer window opens January and closes, I think, end of March. I don't think they've announced the SuperDraft yet. It'll be in January, though. Probably 'round the 15th. Give coaches plenty of time to get their draftees to camp. Also of import is that the roster freeze is done. Obviously our season starts early with a home game v Santos in late February.
Colin Clark is the only Dynamo player in the re-entry draft. Which means any other options declined were on guys who don't meet the age + years in MLS criteria. So probably guys like Watson, maybe Camargo, guys with less than 3 years MLS experience. By offering Kandji, Hainault, and Weaver contracts (I presume) at their 2012 salary they keep those guys out of being eligible for the re-entry draft. I believe all 3 of those guys meet the criteria with 4 years of MLS experience + being out of contract.
Maybe. Remember a player can pull themselves out if negotiating in good faith or if they plan on heading elsewhere but want Houston to keep their rights.
Its like a who's who of former Dynamo players. Seriously I doubt many of the "big names" are picked up as they are likely on the list due to salary issues.
There are some pretty good players available. If there was an expansion team with plenty of cash and willing to pay full price, they could pick up some talent.
See I read it that if they get a bona fide offer, they aren't eligible for the draft or don't go in it. If the Dynamo flop a contract on the table that isn't a pay cut, they aren't eligible for the draft. The design of this draft was to avoid the KC Kevin Hartman situation where they didn't want him at his option salary and wouldn't re-sign him but no other team could pick him up for the option without giving KC something. If a team offers a player a contract at the same salary as 2012, it theoretically avoids that situation where a player is held hostage. The players on the list can opt out up until Thursday I think. Boswell did that last year IIRC.
There are, but if you wait until the next round of the re-entry draft on the 14th, you can pick them and negotiate a lower salary. I would say that off the top of my head this year's draft has more quality players than last year.
Sorta. For players out of contract, the Dynamo would have to decide not to make a player an option to be eligible. For guys on option it would be a decline of the option. In that case they can decline an option and make another offer...player is eligible for draft by nature of the declined option but can pull themselves from draft to continue negotiations. That distinction is actually in the rules on the site.
I think we agree, the confusion to me is whether the list of players eligible for the re-entry draft is the full list of eligible players UNADJUSTED for those who have already opted out. For example, if we assume Mac Kandji is eligible for the draft (he would appear to be), he would normally be eligible as an "out of contract" player. Since he is not on the list, he either a) has been offered a contract by the Dynamo or b) already opted out of the process. I assumed that MLS just put out a list of everyone who was eligible with no opt-outs listed yet.
I actually think a player could opt out immediately but we may never know for certain. I do believe the list is compiled prior to today so there may be time for players to opt out. That's why I stated that might not be the whole list of players without a deal yet. We just don't know. Actually Clark knew at 130 today per his tweet and the list didn't come out until after 7..so time exists
Not sure what his salary requirements are, but Tchani could be an interesting pick-up. He was a stud in college and I think he's just been involved in poor situations in NY and TOR. Wish Marvell Wynne was a little cheaper because Dom could probably mold him into a nice player in the coming year or so with his speed and strength.
The list generally leaves me cold except for one name...Hunter Freeman! Letting him go cost us the cup this year! He's the guy we needed to stop Robbie Keane!
Nobody on that list excites me other than, maybe, Julius James. I always thought he never had a real chance with us as he was always in DeRo's shadow. I think he is solid.
Ike Opara may also be worth a shot to someone. He hasn't been the big deal that many people hoped to see, but he's still young. It looks like we just picked up some depth in defense, but Opara and Wynne (who's not so young anymore, but still useful at the right price) wouldn't be bad options for someone.
Khari Stephenson anybody? With the strikers SJ has hes deemed surplus but he has great flashes of brilliance add that to a brilliant coach and I think he could be great for us.
Until you decide what to do with Chris' brother-not-brother Rofle, I don't think he'd help. We also need to make sure Carr will be ok and, honestly, why keep Mac around? He'd be the first i'd let go. Keep Cam and test out the market for a striker.
FYI, Stephenson is not a forward, he's a midfielder. He played a bit at forward in 2011 when the Quakes had so many injuries that nobody else was healthy (which he said was the first time he had ever done so as a pro), and then he played at forward maybe once or twice this year. He really was not very good at it, tended to play more like a midfielder even when he was nominally playing forward. Most of his time in 2012 was spent in central midfield, where he is a decent player but not worth the $200k that he was getting paid. For Opara, I think if he doesn't get taken in the first phase of the Re-Entry draft (where teams will have to take his option which is almost at $200k for 2013) then he's likely to get re-signed by the Quakes, or perhaps used in a trade in the next week. I just can't see any way that he goes into the second phase of the draft, he's worth too much to basically go free to another team. He's well thought of by the Quakes, his salary is just way too high and he came off Gen Adidas status this year.