Etcheverry Resigns One year deal, expect all those trades that were waiting on his signing to happen now... http://www.mlsnet.com/content/02/dc1223etcheverry.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31052-2002Dec23.html He's going to make $400,000, 270K of which counts against the salary cap (nice that they've been willing to disclose above cap salaries this year). Etch is one of the best players in MLS history, maybe the best. But he's a totally average MLS starter at this point, worth at most 70-80K. I'm just not sure MLS can afford this. Do you tell the great players to go to heck or do you keep paying them for past services? This is also terrible for the teams. I can see this happening with Meola in the near future. The hardest part of the salary cap isn't players that emerge and demand more money (i.e. Twellman), but guys that hang around making a bundle without producing. DC has been suffering this for several years. Getting rid of Moreno helps, but being stuck with Etch at 270K!!! Of course, there have been instances where MLS will say SCREW YOU (see Wynalda), but the major stars have been doing pretty well. Etch, Moreno, Stoichkov, and El Pibe come to mind. Does anyone think that Etch is currently worth $400K? Does anyone think that DC United couldn't have found better players for this price?
i don't see that, to be honest and the next trade (if it goes according to plan) would be a blow to the fire, dema has the ability to carry the team... yeah hristo is old and slow, he's got some moments though... but dema would hurt and then we would still have to make another trade but i do see most of these trades as things these teams must do... it's a great chance for now for th metros; for united, it gets rid of underperforming max players, keeps the defense strong, and allows the offense to be rebuilt, while keeping it's lynchpin; for the fire... we gotta get under the cap, and we gotta do so and do as much positive for us that we can... losing dema hurts, but it gets us a good prospect... if he ever pans out it'll be interesting to see it all playout over the course of the year (after the trades are done... to help figure out who got the best of it now)