Brian Sciaretta @BrianSciaretta I'm hearing that Alejandro Zendejas, Ben Swanson & Eric Lopez are finalizing the latest MLS HG deals #MLS
Fwiw, Zendejas is an El Paso areakid but has been associated with FC Dallas since 2011. Lopez was an FC Golden State kid who switched over the Galaxy last year. Swanson has been with the Crew for a while now, although he came to national prominence all the way back in 2010 as part of ID2.
Swanson has been practicing with the Crew a good amount this season. Berhalter seemed to always try to get him to practice. When he committed to Wake awhile back I thought they agreed to have him go off to college for a year or two. That is how I read the situation. However, things have changed.
The plan was probably for Swanson to sign after the 2014 season. It's always smart for these players even if they know they're going to be going pro soon to have a college backup option in case something falls through. Marc Pelosi and Paul Arriola both had verbally committed to UCLA, but everyone knew they'd never end up there.
Just a guess, but I would think it was a "sign me or lose me overseas" situation (not that I know he had options there) because otherwise I don't see much reason to sign players two years out from HS graduation.
"Sign me or lose me overseas" seems to drive a very high percentage of the home grown signings. In the case of DC United, I have seen them sign people that they probably wouldn't have signed at all had there not been an offer from somewhere else.
He is a '97 born in July making him 17. I would think at that age he's a junior and will graduate next year. If they like him as a prospect why wouldn't they lock him down. The one yr just locks him down from potentially going to another team other than. Protecting their investment.
I was going off TDS, which has his HS graduation year as 2016. It's September 2014 today. If you graduate HS in 2016, it's probably two school years from now, which is the point after which someone who intended to go to college would go to college. EDIT: But as you note, he's 17, which means he could go pro overseas next summer. (I don't know if he's got access to a passport that could help him do that sooner.) That was kind of my point, wasn't it? I was just guessing at what they might be protecting their investment from. He can't sign anywhere else in the league domestically and they'd retain his rights if he went to college. The presumed threat would be pro clubs overseas. Why else start paying him now if you don't have to? I doubt it's so they can play him in MLS next season.
Yup. I won't be surprised if the Fire try do the same with Cam Lindley in the coming months. Maybe JT Marcinkowski with the Earthquakes? There's nothing wrong with locking the players up now from the clubs' perspective, although I'm somewhat surprised so many would be willing to be locked up at this point. If you're Zendejas why not wait until after the U17WC to see if there's interest from "big" clubs in Mexico or Europe. He's committing to FCD for the league minimum? (according to that MLS salary list anyway) Must really love being there............................
I thought you were implying it was a specific offer to go overseas and that was the reason they were signing a 16 yr old. Any youth contract offer has a significant 'I don't want to lose you to another team' aspect to it. So in that sense I understand your point. In more detail I don't know why as a 97 he is listed with 98's on TDS website.
Well, I was more guessing than implying. Since he does turn 18 in July, now would seem to be the time to snap him up before overseas teams do since colleges aren't really a competitor until later. Doesn't seem crazy that he'd negotiated overseas to at least some degree, though I don't have any information to that effect. (I hope he at least told MLS he was for leverage's sake!)
If I was his advisors I would mention in the contract that if the league minimum is raised with the new 2015 CBA that his salary would rise to that level, or is it done automatically by a stipulation in the new CBA. He really is 16 and not 17 so 40K as a prospect type salary is good. Development for me is to know what player you are and be in a good situation to move to first team and not jump at a bigger club for the prestige. Dallas is right for him IMO. Or am I naïve?
If he's been in July of 1997, then I think he would probably have recently entered his senior year, not junior year.
That might make sense if this guy was born in 1996 or 1997, but he's only 15 years old. What is the point of signing such a young player, especially that player being a GK? Even if Lopez is incredible, he won't likely be in contention for any playing time with the first team until the 2017 season at the earliest.
Yeah, I deleted my post because I remembered that "the next Pele" had signed with MLS at an even younger age.
If the Galaxy see him as good enough to sign, I don't see why anybody would be against it? The Galaxy have the system in place to grow him through their ranks. If they feel the investment is worth it to sign him now, then awesome. Plus we don't know what the upcoming roster rule changes are in the CBA, I can't see the Galaxy signing Lopez to be their 3rd GK next year.
R. Findley, D. Sandoval, and S. Jaime have combined 31 GP and 1 Goal. Why in the hell don't they give B. Lopez any playing time??
Even though I agree I think it is more of a two way street. As a league we just don't have the cred to be able to get all the prospects.
Because he's that good. The Galaxy are not in the business of spending money to develop young players for no return. Would you advise them to be? Wondering what stud GK Abraham Romero, who is also in Galaxy's academy will now do.