2014 In-Season Player Movement Discussion

I don't know if that matters. He has been in the league for more than 3 years and was over 24, so in theory he was on a guaranteed contract. Now, what has never been explained from the new CBA is when do those contracts become guaranteed. If they are when the option is picked up (which I believe is likely) then he was already on a guaranteed contract when they exercised his option in December.

Of course how that works when a player is waived and then picked up by another team is anyone's guess.

 

New listing of DP's is up on MLS' site.

http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/designated-players#overlay-context=content/media-resources

Chara and Castillo no longer are DP's, and you can add Escobar as a young DP in Dallas (who has 3 of the 5 young Designated Players).

Also, Montreal has reportedly signed Ignacio Piatti from San Lorenzo in Argentina and he will arrive in July (report says June but he can't actually be registered until the opening of the summer window on July 8th).

 

according to this list, GAM is a DP. was there any announcement from DC about this?

 

Yup.

http://www.dcunited.com/news/2014/03/dc-united-signs-forward-eddie-johnson-as-a-designated-player

 

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/03/25/4914840/sporting-kc-waives-defender-josh.html

Vermes expects KC to announce a new player in the next day or two.

 

Does anyone know, if his contract was already guaranteed by the time they waived him, would the Rapids have any cap hit for Pickens at this point?

 

I can't see how. MLS is no longer paying him, the Rowdies are, unless this is actually a loan deal. Still, I'm not sure why Colorado didn't deal him directly to the Rowdies.

 

Well yeah, that's the second issue in this, but if the Rapids are at least free of any salary cap ties to him we got out without hurting ourselves any more (we just didn't help ourselves).

 

Well add another MLS oddity here:
http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2014/03/pickens-deal-good-everybody

So if the Rapids sold Pickens to Tampa they would have had to take a hit on the cap. If Pickens stayed in NE they would have had to take a hit on the cap. But because he went to NE and NE sold him to Tampa, the Rapids have no hit on the cap. W.T.F.

Or this is FO spin (something I wouldn't rule out).

 

As best I can figure is this: Rowdies were interested in Pickens but thought he would pass waivers and sign him on a free. If that scenario went down, the Rapids would be on the hook for 100% of his salary toward the budget, and Pickens would have essentially been bought out of his contract by the league. If Pickens wanted to go to Tampa all along, that's the most financially lucrative course for him as it means his MLS buyout and his NASL contract.

As it so happens, New England picks him up off waivers and now Tampa has to buy him. The transfer means he forgoes what is owed to him by MLS (therefore relieving the Rapids of a budget burden) in favor of a new contract with the Rowdies. Kind of a roundabout way of getting there but my guess is that Pickens was betting on not getting picked up.

 

But why would the Rapids still have to take part of his salary in cap hit if they had sold him to Tampa (which is what Bravo states in the link)? If that's the case, are the Revs taking part of his salary as a cap hit now?

Otherwise I agree with your logic.

 

My assumption is that Bravo was referring to him signing for Tampa after being waived. If they had sold him directly, there is no reason for his salary to be on the budget*. Same for New England (they also picked up a bit of allocation from the transfer fee).

*It's not unheard of, outside of MLS, for a team to contribute part of a former player's old salary in addition to that of his new team, but it would be strange in this case since it appears there was a transfer fee. It usually happens to get a player off the budget and the only buyer (well, on a free transfer) can't afford the player's salary demands. The selling team could potentially pay the player a portion of his salary to join the new club. I suppose that could be the case here, but it seems unlikely.

 

Hmm, that interpretation would make sense. Let me see if I can get an official clarification.

 

Your assumption was correct, Bravo's statement was almost certainly referring to him going there after being waived (The media guy can't 100% confirm it until talking to Bravo, but he says he's pretty sure that's what he meant). That makes a hell of a lot more sense.

 

I'm curious to know what TB is paying Pickens for his wages, but it's gotta be pretty decent for an NASL GK. IIRC Pickens was on like 175k or something?

I hope TB is not spending beyond their means, but getting a guy like Pickens is a coup for NASL

 

Several reports out that SKC has signed Fluminense defender Igor Julião (whether it is a full transfer or loan is anyone's guess right now). Typically I would think that a young signing from Brazil is a player that was never in the Brazilian team's first team plans, but he apparently played in 19 games last year (14 starts) and also was on Brazil's U-20 South American Championship team last year. So he seems to be another young player that actually has some pedigree already coming to MLS.

 

Rapids re-sign Irwin and Klute to new deals
http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/...alkeeper-clint-irwin-and-defender-chris-klute

 

Hearing @MLS trade being announced soon with @PhilaUnion shipping Jack McInerney to @impactmontreal for Andrew Wenger and more.

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) April 4, 2014

 

Not that surprised. I don't think Jack Mac stays in MLS after this year (he sounds like he wants big money to stay instead of going to Europe. And I wouldn't be surprised if Okugo has the same thought) so they are bringing in a local-ish kid that may rework his deal to a lower salary since he is near home.

Actually, it is now official.

http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/ne...enger-montreal-impact-exchange-jack-mcinerney

 

of course Hack would do something stupid like this. people were starting to think he was competent or something

straight swap of JackMac for Wenger is just outright criminal

 

If that's the case, it seems like a reasonable, if unambitious, move. Wasn't there talk of Wenger also playing in defense? If he's turning out to be a mediocre forward, it seems now is the time to convert him while he's still youngish.

 

He has excellent passings ability and good positional sense, he's probably best in some sort of mid field role.

Honestly put him anywhere other than up front and he'll do quite well.