The Quakes need a left back and they seem to have plenty of midfielders, so a Tommy trade wouldn't be a surprise. You have to give quality to get quality, or, at least, trade players somewhat close in value.
Even if they can rationalize this from a "give up something to get something" perspective, I have to question this (potential) move just from a marketing standpoint, at kind of an all-time low point in the Quakes marketability. There are a few haters around, including on this forum, but in general I'd say TT is a fan favorite. And the Quakes use him like crazy for promotions. Here's TT juggling with kids, here's TT speaking at the Partner Summit, here's TT taking calls in the Quakes office, here's TT doing tricks with the Harlem Globetrotters, etc. Plus TT won the Andrew Bedard Spirt of the Game / Humanitarian of the Year Award last year. I know Leitch would not want to give him up. So if it were to happen, I guess that would show what kind of influence he has on these kinds of decisions (read - not much at all), though he may be in the "well, I'm powerless at the moment to change these guy's minds, might as well send him somewhere where he'll play" mode.
People on this forum have pushed for an in-league trade and not just look for foreign players. If another team wants a certain player and they have someone you think you can use then you make the deal. Again, reading this forum there are very few Quakes, if any, who would be untouchable if the trade were right. And for Tommy's sake, it would be good to go somewhere you're wanted and can get playing time.
I'm not questioning it, if you don't really strongly value TT. It seems the current manager certainly does not at all, though the former most certainly did. And you have to wonder how much clout the current manager should be given in player personnel decisions with 2 wins in 18 games. But it could be a Jesse thing too. I think Leitch would consider TT pretty much untouchable, considering how he felt about his performances last season, and considering his youth and additional potential. If it were up to me, there are players I'd pick, who might have some value in the league, before TT, including Godoy, Eriksson (though Quakes would probably have to eat most of the transfer fee, and he hasn't even performed nearly at a level to justify his $400k salary), Quincy, Hyka, etc. And again, I think TT is exactly the wrong player to trade from a marketability perspective when the team is at an all-time low in terms of marketability.
Jazzy, I'm not saying that TT should be the first choice of the Quakes to offer. I'm suggesting that given the team's performance it may be that another team came to the Quakes and asked to discuss only TT. If you don't have the luxury of offers for other players but trading Tommy can get you a good left back or something you need, you might take it.
Yeah, and I'm saying that you might take it if you don't really value TT all that much, and seems that the current manager and GM do not, based on his playing time this year. And I'm saying further that I don't think it would happen if Leitch was still coach. Anyway, if you are looking for a left back, you don't really have to just passively wait for other teams to pro-actively express interest in your players. You can be the one doing the pro-active stuff, looking for a left back, and then see what you can offer ($, a player or two, some combination, etc.). That's not to say that we are not doing that. I would guess that we are.
Tommy is the type of player you steal from idiots. “Hey look, Wondo must suck because he’s buried on the Dynamo depth chart and playing on the reserve team. Trade him for Weaver.”
Makes sense to me. Realistically, who else on our roster is likely to be pursued by another team? Other than Yeferson Quintana, there's not a lot of upside potential in most of the players we currently have, other than perhaps Vako (at 25). Hyka's 30, Eriksson is 28, so it's not like either is likely to get much better.
If he gets traded, I'll be honest, I can't wait for him to come back and have a great game against the Earthquakes a la Beitashour and Morrow multiple, multiple times now. Young talent that the fans love, with local connection, doesn't get playing time because we sign a "Euro star" that the front office or coaching staff would be embarrassed to give up on... how many more times?
Can't trade Tommy for at least another week. .@tomthom11, @Erikssonmange7, Florian Jungwirth & more will be playing in the first-ever Shake, Rattle & Hold 'em Poker Tournament on July 20 and YOU CAN TOO! Sign up here: https://t.co/TzEH501OkF pic.twitter.com/gi2Y2iBon2— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) July 12, 2018
BTW, my understanding, based on things the folks on reddit are saying, is that the MLS Transfers twitter person is notoriously unreliable, to the extent that that twitter account is "banned on here [Quakes reddit] and /r/MLS for being unreliable". So this may very well be much ado about nothing. A nice little thought exercise, though.
See what I mean. The club leverages TT like mad for marketing purposes. Is he really the guy you want to trade? I suppose the technical side would be able to make the call regardless. Shea Salinas was not traded I don't think, but he was left unprotected in the expansion draft, and we lost him. Another fan favorite.
If you go by his brother Tanner who turned 24 on Sunday and who is already out of the game, 23 ain’t young!
I disagree. Raw speed is not his Achilles heel. Expansion is coming again and I’m sure teams like Cincinnati or Nashville would be happy to have Tommy on their roster.
Yeah, I can see this brilliant braintrust leaving him exposed and protecting guys nobody else would ever be interested in.
If Magnus isn't exposed, that is a pretty baldfaced admission that they refuse to "take responsibility" for this season.
I'm not talking about raw speed he gets "zero" separation after he beats a player. Highly skilled but without the separation you are worthless..... trust me I know this was me when I tried to go the pro route after college.
You don’t need speed or height in soccer but in MLS , that is how you are mostly judged. At least as far as American born players are concerned. I’ve yet seen many players 5ft 7 and under make it or stand out. Maybe the foreigners but not many Americans.