I really appreciate that list. There are some edge players left exposed here that I'd like to see back, but anyone I think is critical is protected. Usually Pete tosses a curveball at me with these lists, but this one is pretty okay in my book.
Are bona fide offers next week, after the expansion? For some reason I was thinking they needed to be before--though I'm not complaining!
It's Monday. It's why (I think) a number of teams haven't announced their contract decisions, so as to not tip off St. Louis or other teams about who they're going to retain (though I'd argue protecting Zusi is certainly a sign on the direction SKC is going). https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2022-mls-offseason-calendar-for-player-moves
Between every protected player, both those we protected and the auto protected ones, the only players we might lose who could play a role for us in 2023 are Sweat and McIntosh. Sweat, to me, looks like the more likely. to be grabbed, He's both a very solid outside back he's really inexpensive, and is the sort of player with enough MLS knowledge that helps with a roster build. But backup keeper is always a need for an expansion club. Combine this with the upcoming superdraft, where we know have the 8th overall pick. I saw one projection that we'd grab a striker turned CB from Washington U but that same piece projected we'd need him to start alongside Easley. So, don't see that backline happening, and does Easley make the first team roster? I would think uniikely unless he's bumping out Rad. That I can see, there is no one who will fall to the 8th pick, is a US or green card holding option who won't take the INT spot we do not have, who can help us in 2023. Sweat and/or McIntosh can help us in 2023. StL has a wide open roster and can probably find someone with a pick that high, and open INT slots. Now, from what I can see, they do not have a single starting caliber defender, so sweat might be quite attractive, though he is a bit old for the new expansion approach I would place Sweat among the 12 players most likely to be grabbed in the expansion draft, McIntosh in the top 25. As only 5 can go, we're unlikely to have to make any sort of move, but if it looks as if StL is picking or about to pick either of those players, maybe it's time to offer them our first round pick? Of course, they could grab Isi. He would be a starting caliber CB and those are not easily found. I think he could give us another year, But I think we're moving on from him, in any case, so that would be a best case scenario, and I won't count on one of those.
Also, read a piece on expansion draft strategies, and one started by Jessie Marsch was to grab club icons whenever possible, just to leverage them back to the clubs and get something you really want. In that sense, protecting Zusi makes sense. Officially, i think that's called the dick-move draft strategy. We may recall when he pulled that on us.
Sweat is easily the top choice. McIntosh is there, but at the same time, why use 1 of your 5 selections on a back up keeper when you can probably get 1 just as good in free agency or from the USL? I just went searching for this b/c I audibly laughed at the idea of drafting a CB to pair with Easley. I'm not convinced Easley will be on the SKCII roster next year, let alone the first team roster. Not saying a defender won't happen but the idea of doing it to eventually pair with Easley (who's older than Voloder) is just completely laughable. For those that want to read it: https://www.draftutopia.com/2023mlsmockdraft.html The entire section on SKC is laughable and ignores Ford and Voloder specifically along with Rad already being on the roster. Like it reads like he expects Easley to be the starter next to Isi next season (if Isi is back). This is getting to me way more than it should... I will say that whoever they draft has the chance to actually make the 1st team, which hasn't happened since Eric Dick and Graham Smith in 2018. They don't? I would think Joakim Nilsson a CB with international experience for Sweden and Selmir Pidro, LB with international experience for Bosnia would both be considered starting defenders. The later of which plays Sweat's predominate position. I wouldn't give up a pick to keep either one of them. I'd like to keep both but if they go they go.
While there may be some truth to this, this comes off more as agent speak. https://www.90min.com/posts/nicolas...t-attracting-attention-from-leading-mls-clubs Isi still has an option on his deal, so while KC could choose to not exercise it, mechanisms within the league like the Re-Entry Draft would muddy their ability to.
Using the term leading MLS clubs, that would mean, who? Who wants an aging, often injured but, IMO (and I know I am not in the majority here) quite decent CB when healthy. I do believe he's really nice on the ball, decent in the air, and defends at an above average rate. I think the $1m pricetag is way over his MLS value, but at $500k-$700k, he'd be fine. LAFC? If georgio c is retiring, he could replace him as their only $1m defender. I'm not sure they brought GC in for purely on field reasons, though. He might fit the LAFC system, so possible but really unlikely. Philly? Nope. Not a chance. Austin, They might be in that panicky "we're only two players away from MLS Cup" phase that leads clubs to do things like bring in Fontas and Isi at $1m a year, but Josh seems smarter than that so far. Montreal? So they might lose Kamal Miller and ... nope cannot write that and not laugh. Their model is to find a new Miller, who earned $300,000. So, down to solid leading teams who slippped? Okay, SKC... we will know soon enough. Seattle? They pay their starting CBs under $700,000. Would seem odd to break the model for a 31 yo. New England? Bruce likes old guys, so maybe. But unlikely. etc. Teams that really could use him: Houston. Charlotte. The next expansion club? Chicago. DC.
Which makes the above discussion a bit pointless, I guess. Still, looking forward to the superdraft, which I did for the first time last week because I thought we'd replace someone if taken, but found no one, to make the first team roster, I coulnd't find anyone projected to be a right away MLS starter, period, or anyone who won't take up an INT slot who would fall to the 8th pick who would be better than Rad, or Cisneros. My hope for the draft is that we find someone raw with a ton of upside for SKCII and see if they develop, so maybe a sophomore? But, as I said, I pay no attention to college footie. You think there are some out there who can make the roster. Who should we be looking at?
The people that really get into college soccer (Top Drawer is my main go to) won't really focus on the draft until after the college season, anyone before that is either speculating a lot or just doing it for clicks. We won't have any idea on depth of the draft until we find out who the GA class is and how big it is. That could change a top 5 pick overall that's a senior dropping to 8-10 depending on the size of the GA class. Remember if they're not a GA signing, underclassmen can't declare for the draft.
Roster news: https://www.sportingkc.com/news/sporting-kc-announces-roster-moves-ahead-of-2023-mls-season The important part: Sporting has exercised contract options for midfielder Cam Duke, defender Kortne Ford and goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh. The club has declined contract options for defenders Nicolas Isimat-Mirin, Kaveh Rad and Graham Zusi. Sporting is currently in discussions to retain Zusi, midfielder Roger Espinoza and defender Andreu Fontas, all of whom are out of contract with the club. Additionally, Sporting has signed midfielder Felipe Hernandez, forward Khiry Shelton and goalkeeper Tim Melia to new MLS contracts. Hernandez and Shelton have signed through 2025 with options for 2026, while Melia has signed through 2024. That 3 year extension for Shelton and 2 for Melia are head scratchers.
https://www.sportingkc.com/news/sporting-kc-announces-roster-moves-ahead-of-2023-mls-season Not the list of moves I was hoping for. Excersized option for Duke and Ford (both goood).Option declined for Isi (good), Rad (?) and Zusi. In negotiations with Espinoza (good), Zusi (good) and Fontas (why?). Shelton signed to a new contract through 2025......
I agree with this outlook into the draft. To me, you look at the 2022 draft for the 2023 roster, and not the 2023 draft. Did a player play for SKC2 (or another MLSNext Team I guess) that did enough to push a player like Rad. I'm specifically looking at Esai Easley. Did anyone watch SKC2 enough to have a reasonable opinion? Has anyone with Sporting talked about him (or others)? He was selected with the 22nd pick by SKC. He's the 4th highest player selected in the draft that didn't sign a 1st team deal (6 total were not signed to 1st team deals). SKC's 2nd round pick ended up not signing with SKC2 and instead played for Charleston Battery and we selected PASS in the 3rd round. SKC2's defense wasn't horrible compared with the rest of MLSNXT but they couldn't score goals (we had some offensive departures from last year for sure). The top 5 overall picks were all Generation Adidas and had varying degrees of "use" by their team. The 6th pick (first non GA pick) was Lucas Bartlett who was a Sporting KC Academy and Kaw Valley player and selected by Dallas and has been released.
If the new contract for Fontas is visibly reduced, then I think he's worth it. He's still very useful, just historically massively overpaid. Shelton is gonna trigger many fans. Given the return of Pulido and the arrival of Agada, he should be getting nowhere near the amount of minutes at CF going forward. I don't mind him as depth, honestly. Generally pretty happy about this. I liked Isi but knocking his excessive contract off the books will be healthy.
With all the fire that Shelton took from the fans and the media, I can only think that PV has a different position for him on the team. With Pulido and Agada, he will never see time as a CF unless one or both of the others get injured. I could see PV using him as depth as a winger. But the length of the contract and the options leave me speechless.
According to the roster release they're in negotiations to bring him back to SKCII. I didn't watch a ton but I watched my fair share of games and honestly I didn't come away impressed with honestly anyone on either side of the ball. Easley didn't look any better than either Rad did at CB and didn't look anywhere near close to MLS action.
Thinking about it more, the thing that is triggering me the most is the fact that it's for 3 years with an option for a 4th.
I think the value for Shelton that PV has is as a defensive winger behind Russell. You'd never pull Russell needing a goal, but I could see him using Shelton to "see a game out" on the right wing to take minutes off of Russell. Shelton provides Russell's grit/defensive effort where others (like the young guys) may not, so I see that as the value ... not saying I completely agree, but at a small price point, it's probably useful.