Adding players after the date is easy if you have roster/salary room. Its subtracting players that gets harder. So if we don't sign Mari until the 14th, no big deal. But if Pickens' contract gets guaranteed tomorrow and he's still on the roster...
Update with Mari's signing today. 29 of 30 roster spots now filled (that includes Pickens, who won't be going to Stabaek) and 6 of 8 international spots. http://view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com/2014/03/rapids-sign-one-cut-two-keep-one.html
Sure, make us click through to read about Pickens. (I did.) The Vent from the Coach blog is unstoppable!
I guess it's a good thing for Pickens that the Rapids are paying him so much money so he can afford another one-way ticket for another trial somewhere.
He should have significant utility for us in practice, stay sharp in case (dog forbid) Irwin gets injured, and at some point have decent trade potential within the league when some team for whatever reason needs a replacement starting GK. As long as our roster is so close to filled and we are under the cap his salary is not that big of a deal (single entity - not "Rapids'" money) there is an 'opportunity' cost in that what is paid to him can't be paid to someone else but if/when that trade happens we will need to pay the field player (hopefully as much as Pickens because he is worth it) so for now giving it to him serves as more or less a place holder.