News: 2022/2023 Off-Season Catch-All Thread

Imagine if we had the front office capable of going after guys like this:

Josef Martínez has been told that he won't be part of Atlanta United's future. The club will move on from the former MVP this winter.

Details on what's next for Martínez and #ATLUTD's search for a new No. 9. https://t.co/AxH10u4Lte

— Felipe Cárdenas (@FelipeCar) October 27, 2022

I have a sneaking suspicion that Josef is gonna tear it up for whatever team signs him - especially after how Heinze treated him last year, and how the team moved on this year.

 

This report says the Rapids are one of 3 teams interested in José Pedro Fuenzalida. Haven't heard much about it but still interesting to see the Rapids being talked about signing a striker #rapids96 https://t.co/YymwuaPWYQ

— Yahir Vazquez (@Yahir_Vazquez_) October 29, 2022

 

Didn't make it in the story, but learned from sources in the course of reporting the Apple TV/MLS article that the league is aiming to announce the full 2023 schedule in mid-December.

Likely between second World Cup semifinal on Dec. 14 and World Cup final on Dec. 18. https://t.co/TXbnuYS1go

— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) October 28, 2022

 

A 37 year old veteran. Had 22 appearances for the club in 2022, 4g 4a.

 

Oof. A 37 year old striker is just what the rapids need right now…that’ll really engender some faith in the organization!

 

I doubt any MLS side is seriously looking at Fuenzalida given his age and lack of goal production in recent seasons. His English Wikipedia page as him with 0 goal is 20 appearances for Universidad Católica in 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Pedro_Fuenzalida

There is the Rapids' Chilean connection though . . . but I just can't believe Pádraig would be considering him.

 

Imagine if our FO could get a guy like Mukhtar - who just won the MVP for this year (and has been tearing it up for Nashville since joining them in 2020):

23 goals. 11 assists.

Hany Mukhtar balled out to win MVP. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/rgX7ny9HMQ

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 1, 2022

Well....if you didn't know already, his purchase price was well within what we could hope for in a big splash player....

Hany Mukhtar was signed by Nashville SC for a $3m fee from Brondby to be the face of the attack ahead of their 2020 expansion season. Since:

-43g/27a in 79 appearances
-Scored or assist 65% of NSC's goals in 2022
-Led NSC to playoffs all 3 seasons
-2022 Golden Boot
-2022 MLS MVP pic.twitter.com/ZZotRPBYWq

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) November 1, 2022

$3mil. That's it. $3mil. That's all it cost to get a league superstar and a face for the franchise.

In the same offseason that the Rapids FO signed Namli and Benezet for $2mil, Nashville went out there got Mukhtar (ok technically, they signed him in August, but he couldn't join the team until 2020 for their inaugural year).

Wonder who we're signing this offseason. Don't really have high expectations right now, but until the Winter window is closed before the start of next season, I guess I can still hope for something!

And yes, I realize that ironically makes me a hopeless optimist

 

$3M would be a team record fee for a player. Not that we couldn't or shouldn't pay that much, but we never have up to this point.

 

Well, with guys like Messi going to Miami (while by no means confirmed, it’s still possible), Almada to Atlanta for $16m, Insigne signing on to play for Toronto for 4 years for $44m, and rumors of Josef Martinez to Barcelona - $3mil is gonna seem like small potatoes in this league pretty soon. MLS is exploding on the international stage right now as it’s definitely shifting to a direct pipeline both to and from the ‘Big Five’


Unfortunately Million Dollar Max deals don’t really seem to be able to cut it - and I’m probably higher on Max than most of the Rapids fandom here and elsewhere on the interwebs.

 

Theoretically we should hear about the end-of-season roster decisions between today and Saturday, no?

Josef Martinez to Barcelona sounds a bit like Josef Martinez's agent talking, trying to raise his price tag among MLS clubs given his lackluster past season.

On the MLS Extratime podcast, Matt Doyle opined that if Messi goes to Inter Miami, it makes Alejandro Pozuelo redundant there. He specifically mentioned the Rapids as a team that really needs a player like him. But then all the other hosts chimed in and said, "Well, that won't happen because the Rapids don't do DPs."

 

While, I assume, ignoring that the Rapids have had a DP on the roster every year since 2014(?), and 2 this year.

(Not that I would call them good DPs or anything, but the Rapids 'do' DPs. They just don't do them well.)

 

Smith is a Bargin bin signer, right now other clubs have made signings or you hear who they are pursuing. RFO only shops after the bins are picked clean.

I have never bought into their whole, "DP's ruin the clubhouse/ team" drivel they used to use to explain not going after DP's.

 

I think its true...for some DPs. The mistake is worrying about it as an issue across the board. If they really think having somebody like that would destroy the locker room good scouting and negotiation should be able to reveal who won't be a good match, and then you just don't sign that player and move on to one that will be a good match.

 

A couple of tidbits from The Athletic article linked earlier in this thread:

• The MLS regular season will begin on Sat., Feb. 25
• Home matches will kickoff at 7:30pm local time (I think this is still up for consideration, not set in stone yet.)

 

I think we should sign Ronaldo. I hear he’s great in the locker room as of late

 

I think you're right on the acquisitions, but I can tell you the lack of an announcement about retained/released players is 100% intentional. Its the same reason we don't get a lineup until its absolutely required (and then not in a formation graphic) and why the injury reports are never up to date. Padraig believes that any information given out helps the other teams so he will always release the minimal information allowed and wait as late as possible to do it, to get as much of an "edge" as possible from it.

I think 90% of the time that hurts building engagement with the fans more than it helps with roster building, but that's the strategy they're going with.

 

I couldn't agree more. There's seemingly very little interest in growing the fan base.

Ironically, I live in AZ and actually saw a Colorado Rapids bumper sticker the other day. Couldn't believe my eyes and had to do a triple take!

 

Daniel Chacon is going to the World Cup:

📰 | Rapids 2 midfielder Daniel Chacón has been named to the @fedefutbolcrc roster for the 2022 @FIFAWorldCup. https://t.co/uDD9RyX6pw

— Colorado Rapids 2 (@Rapids_2) November 3, 2022

Will be an extremely valuable chunk of experience for him. Not just the World Cup setting, but Costa Rica is in a group with Spain, Germany, and Japan - no easy task by any means.

Good luck Daniel!

 

I take a swing at figuring out the Rapids' expansion draft list:
http://view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com/2022/11/expansion-draft-time.html

 

That's some interesting info on Zardes

 

Mainly I just needed to come up with some reason to protect two other players. Honestly, its a stretch to even get to 10 worth protecting once our auto-protected HGs and GAs are covered.