Evaluating Our Options

The purpose of this thread is to take a look at how the Earthquakes can improve their squad through the MLS market; that is, through trades. While free agency could be a wonderful thing for the league, with the current salary cap it is impossible for this to exist. Instead we're left with a trade system. I'm going to take a team-by-team look at available players that the Earthquakes have a realistic ability to acquire. (Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake will both be excluded from this list.)

Forward: It's very clear that this team needs to acquire more depth at the forward position. With an in-limbo Dwayne DeRosario, we're currently left with two forwards, Brian Ching and Roger Levesque. While two target forwards is a possiblity, Levesque is relatively unproven at the MLS level, and that still leaves Coach Kinnear very few options off of the bench. So what players should Alexi and Dom pursue, and what would we have to give up?

Chicago Fire
It seems as though the only player that would possibly be available at this position is Ante Razov. This could be a positive move for the Quakes, but it's also one fraught with plenty of risks, and no doubt the price for a player with Razov's MLS pedigree would be quite high.

Positives:

• Has scored an impressive seventy-six goals in his career in MLS. He has proven that he can score goals (except against the Earthquakes).
• At age thirty, Razov is a veteran experienced in MLS play, and, as Earthquakes fans know, has also experienced some big game situations, including MLS Cup 2004.
• Razov might pair nicely with Ching, who could win balls in the air that Razov could finish. It's a tandem that could conceivably work very well, but one that could just as easily fail.

Negatives:

• Age could also be construed as a weakness for Razov. Not only is he injury prone but he is likely on the downside of his career. He scored only four goals for the Fire last season before his season was cut short by injury.
• Razov does have a reputation for being a locker-room cancer. The Earthquakes tried to pick up a proven goal-scorer in 2002 in Ariel Graziani, but that didn't work out under Yallop, and I suspect it couldn't work with a similiar player in a similiar situation under a very similiar coach.

What would the Earthquakes have to give up?
It seems as though the Fire would only part with Razov for the right price. I'd suspect that they'd want some defensive help, as well as immediate midfield help. I expect that the asking price could conceivably be Dunivant and Alvarez/Cochrane, or Brian Mullan.

Colorado Rapids
None

Columbus Crew
It seems clear that Columbus is willing to part with long-time Crew member Jeff Cuningham. He seems to have fallen out of favor with Greg Andrulis (who it looks will remain Crew head coach next season.) I base this not only on visible arguments between the two, but also Greg's decision to not only not start Cunningham in the playoffs, but to not insist he take any Penalty Kicks against the Revolution. This displays a lack of confidence that could be cause for an exit.

Positives

• A very speedy forward. Of course, Jamil Walker was also speedy, but Cunningham possesses not only a better first touch, but better skills on the ball.
• Cunningham has also proved a potent finisher. He has sixty-two career goals, and last season scored nine with only limited playing time.

Negatives

• Cunningham may also be a hot-head in the way of a Razov or a Graziani. He seems to have fallen out of favor in Columbus for this reason, and has had visible spats with coach Greg Andrulis.
• Prone to excessive dribbling and a lack of vision. He may not be exactly what the Earthquakes need in a partner for Brian Ching, especially given that he and DeRosario play very similiar games.

What would the Earthquakes have to give up?
While Columbus is potentially looking to offload Cunningham, their front office would likely also attach a big price on his head. This could be a classic case of price inflation, with Cunningham being valued at a price far greater than what he is in fact worth. I'd suspect the Crew would want help on the wings in midfield and would likely ask for a player of Brian Mullan's caliber, or the Earthquakes would have to give up their first-round draft pick.

D.C. United
While United doesn't seem to have any players that would be available and provide an immediate impact, they do have a player who, while not yet having reached his potential, may provide depth on this squad and blossom under Dominic Kinnear. Yes, I'm talking about Santino Quaranta.

Positives

• Santino has tremendous upside. He could really blossom into a great player given the right opportunities, and he shouldn't come at too great a cost.
• He could at the very least provide more depth, and with expanded rosters, could still get time on the reserve team.

Negatives

• If he does nothing, but we squandered a high draft-pick or another player that could provide a spark off the bench, then the organization will look rather foolish.

What would the Earthquakes have to give up?
A deal for Santino could rest on as little as a lower-round draft pick or a young talent, perhaps Arturo Alvarez. This trade would only be worth it if it cost the Earthquakes a draft pick. Trading unproven talent for unproven talent is ridiculous and dangerous.

F.C. Dallas
None


Kansas City Wizards
It's hardly likely that either Josh Wolff or Davy Arnaud would be available via a trade. There's also very little that the Earthquakes could offer Kansas City apart from draft picks.

LA Galaxy
None

Metrostars
This could be the deal that could best benefit the Earthquakes. It appears that the Metrostars are willing to depart with Mike Magee. If this is true, Dominic and Alexi would be crazy to not make an offer.

Positives

• Magee makes good runs off the ball and has a nice touch. His passing is deft and his skill first-rate. It's really just a matter of him blossoming into the kind of player that MLS fans saw flashes of during the 2003 season.
• He could prove a great partner with Brian Ching. As I mentioned above, his passing and work rate would lend itself well to the kind of player that Ching is. But can he take advantages the way that Landon could?

Negatives

• Despite his age, Magee still poses question marks. Last season he was injured and was part of a five man striker rotation. His rookie year was solid, but he'd still be a question mark given the price he'd require.
• Magee is young, but he still hasn't proved that he can be the kind of finisher he needs to. In the two years that I've watched him, his finishing has been at times suspect. Can he be a consistent performer and starter?

What would the Earthquakes have to give up?
For a player of Magee's quality and potential, I'd mostly likely suspect we'd have to give up Dunivant and a draft pick. Mulrooney would be off the table (with good reason), but the Metrostars still need more defensive help, especially with the departure of Craig Ziadie. Dunivant could fill a hole for them at left back, and there are few players we could draft that could have the kind of immediate impact that Magee could have. Questions still abound, but Magee could be a very good pick-up under the right circumstances.

Again, I started this thread to generate discussion about who is available and at what cost. I only addressed our deficiency at forward, but there are plenty of other positions (including utility roles) that could be filled through trades with opposing MLS clubs.

 

Then allow me to clarify what I meant mentioning him. When listing what the Earthquakes would have to give up for a player, I wasn't trying to suggest that we should give up Mullan (we shouldn't.) What I was trying to suggest was simply that if we want to acquire a player via the trade, we should expect them to ask for something valuable in return. Sometimes it's absurd (as a Razov/Cunningham for Mullan trade would be), and sometimes there are trades of mostly equal value.

I just thought it was important that I list what's possible because in threads like this, posters always list something like:

"We'll trade Ian Russell, Ramiro Corralles, and Wes Hart for Eddie Johnson"

or something equally ridiculous. I'm trying to suggest players that may be available that we may want to trade for, and what those teams would expect in return.

 

Roblar:

I definitely agree with you about DeRosario. He should (rightly) be our first priority right now. We're too weak up top to let DeRosario get away for nothing.

However, my list of "untouchables" would differ slightly from yours:

Untouchables

• Brian Ching - Too valuable with our dearth of forwards to let go.
• Brian Mullan - If our National Team can tell us anything it's that there aren't many good American right wing players, and Brian is one of the best in MLS. It makes no sense to lose him.
• Richard Mulrooney - Too good a central, defensive midfielder for us to possibly consider losing him.
• Ryan Cochrane - Young and talented, we'd be stupid to deal away Cochrane when it's still unclear whether Troy Dayak will be around next season, Agoos still has it, and whether Eddie Robinson can return from injury and play at a high level.

These four players must be protected. I would only consider dealing Dunivant if we could bring back Wade Barett. If that's not possible, than it doesn't make sense to lose a player, in a position, like Mullan's, that is very weak in MLS.

 

Roblar

I do think that some of these trades would be possible without including Brian in the deal, but it would probably mean trading our top draft pick. Again, I should have included more tangible possibilities in my summary.

 

All of these are valid points. I just don't suspect we'll get anything significant without being willing to give up something significant in turn. There are still some significant players I'd be willing to part with if it could make the team better. Again, we could always give up draft picks, but teams would likely want immediate coverage for the loss of a good player. I'd imagine most teams (with the exception of Real Salt Lake) would be unwilling to part with one of their best offensive threats for an unreliable draft pick.

 

Now for another essential position left midfielder. Of course, the rumors have suggested that Eddie Lewis is on his way back, but I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, we will definitely need a starter and some viable options off of the bench (of course we do have Alvarez.) Let's take a look at some options we'll have within MLS:

Mark Chung
Chung had a poor season in 2004, and at 35 years old, may be a bit of a gamble. It's very difficult to tell whether there's anything left in the tank, but Chung is yet to win an MLS Cup and is likely to have a better shot winning it in San Jose than he would in Colorado. However, the decision is ultimately up to the Rapids front office. They may still see Chung as a valuable left mid that had a bad season, but they may also see him as trade bait to bring in some young talent.

Positives

• Chung is a fine crosser of the ball, has excellent passing skills, a nice shot, and he reads the game very well. He'd definitely be an asset to a team oriented to one-touch soccer played through the midfield.
• A proven goal-scorer and points-getter in MLS, Chung could contribute on the field and off, providing veteran leadership (along with Agoos and Mulrooney) to what may be a young team next season.
• Chung just flat out buried the Earthquakes with his play in 2003; a move to San Jose would ensure that that doesn't happen again.

Negatives

• Mark's age is a detriment to a move of this sort. He's getting older, which means that his best years may be behind him, and that only injuries may loom ahead.
• While Ramiro was never speedy, neither is Mark Chung. If this team decides to play a speed and counter-attack oriented football style, Chung would find himself ill-suited in this environment.

What would the Earthquakes have to give up?
As Chung is an older player and the Rapids are no doubt looking to get younger, I suspect that Chung could be acquired for a few draft picks, probably our second and third round picks. Rapids fans may disagree with this, but I think it's a possible, and maybe even a fair trade now that there are expanded rosters and reserve teams.

LA Galaxy
Ned Grabavoy found himself out of favor with Steve Sampson by the end of last season. He showed tremendous flashes of brilliance in the games I saw, and could really be a jewel in the rough if the Earthquakes could swing a trade deal for him. While this would probably have been impossible under Sigi, who saw a certain something in Grabavoy's game, with Sampson in charge, this deal suddenly looks possible.

Positives

• Ned has a wicked cross and good passing skills. With playing time, he could develop into a great left-sided player.
• Apparently out of favor in LA and only a second-year player, Grabavoy could probably be acquired without giving up too much.

Negatives

• Some Bigsoccer posters have bagged on Ned's speed and workrate, but while he isn't the quickest player, he is certainly no slower than Ramiro Corrales. The fact that there is criticism may make this a negative, but San Jose seems to bring out the best in players (see Walker, Jamil.)
• With only a few games experience in MLS, Grabavoy still remains an intangible.

What would the Earthquakes have to give up?
I don't imagine that Grabavoy would cost the Earthquakes much. Perhaps something in the way of a draft pick or two for Ned might seem promising to Steve Sampson and Doug Hamilton.

Metrostars
It was obvious that when the Metrostars left Joselito Vaca unprotected in the expansion draft, that he was available via trade. Vaca, a left sided midfielder, has never quite shown the kind of progress he was supposed to when he was with Dallas, and again when he left for the Metrostars. However, in a new situation, with new coaches who are committed to winning, he may find an ideal playing environment in San Jose.

Positives

• Joselito has a fine left foot and neat passing ability. While he isn't a world beater, he could provide much needed depth on the left side.
• He has shown quickness and an ability to strike a good shot. (Don't believe me? Check out the shot he scored against our very own Earthquakes in that 5-5 thriller last season.)
• Joselito would fit in well with an attack-oriented side.

Negatives

• Joselito's defense is definitely suspect. He was pulled by Bob Bradley because of a drop in form and little contribution on the other side of the field.
• He has never seemed to make due on the talent that was supposed to make him a great MLS player. However, he also showed signs of breaking through early last season before he was benched.
• If Dominic plans to play a slightly more defensive style of football next season, or one that plays through the center of the midfield rather than on the wings, Joselito would not be a good fit.

What would the Earthquakes have to give up?
No doubt the Metrostars would want draft picks for Joselito. I can envision Nick S. asking for far more than Joselito is worth, but what he is worth are a few decent draft picks or maybe a defensive player like Eddie Robinson. However, Arturo Alvarez plays like a slightly underdeveloped Vaca, so this trade may be the least necessary of the bunch.

 

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Bajoro again."

Bajoro, you make some good points. You're absolutely right about Chung and I think if the price was right, he would certainly be worth acquiring. He could contribute on the pitch and help Arturo mature into a better player. While Corrales was a fine role player he was certainly no role model, and between injuries, time away with the U-20s, and the lack of a serious mentor, Arturo's game really hasn't improved much since we drafted him. Chung could definitely help him turn the corner.

You may well be right about our situation up top. I agree that I'd much rather see us acquire a player or two via draft, and probably use a discovery pick or allocation for a new striker. However, that said, the Earthquakes front office still needs to evaluate all of their options, and I just tried to list the options that would be available to them and maybe worth pursuing within MLS. That leaves that allocation available for a quality attacking midfielder (but that's another discussion.)

 

I just think that this is worth mentioning:

According to Rapidsfan.com, San Jose was interested in acquiring Pablo Mastroeni via trade. What we would have possibly offered Colorado, and why we felt we needed another defensive midfielder or central defender at the expense of one of our own attackers or draft picks I don't quite understand.

 

It also said that LA, the Metrostars, and San Jose were all interested. I wouldn't know if we offered three field players or not.

If we're expecting Mulrooney to be our attacking midfielder, we'll be in trouble unless we get some serious speed and skill on the left side of the midfield. That way, Richard would be able to channel the attack out to the wings who would try to get the ball forward to our strikers. I saw Dombrowski maybe slotting into central midfield, but he really hasn't had the experience to demonstrate his inclusion in the starting eleven, especially in such a huge role.

Again, I could conceivably see us acquiring Pablo to play central midfield. Robinson has been injury prone for the past three seasons, Jeff is near the end of his career as is Dayak, and Waibel, our replacement central defender, is also our starting right back in most circumstances. But I don't see how giving up a few field players or even our top draft pick is worth it, especially since we have much more pressing concerns.

But this is all speculation and whether or not we actually pursued Pablo Mastroeni remains to be confirmed.

 

Roblar
You're right about Colorado not wanting to give up Pablo and the Rapidsfan link confirms that.

Your second point is spot on and is the reason why I posted the link in the first place. Why would we go after another defensive midfielder when we already have one of the best in MLS? The answer is complex. Your answer is probably what Dominic and Alexi were thinking when they made a trade proposal; however, it's also possible that they were thinking of putting Pablo in central defense. In fact, given the team's inclination towards injury, it's possible that Dominic and Alexi thought that Pablo could just as easily fill in both holes if called upon.

WeWereCut
I have no idea what we offered for Pablo, but the trade was obviously rejected outright. Roblar and I concluded that at the very least Mulrooney, Mullan, Ching, and Cochrane are a core group of players that the Earthquakes should do everything to protect. We will, however, have an early draft pick that we could use for trade bait. So many good players slip down to the low rounds in MLS Drafts now that it's very likely that we could just as easily cover our weak spots with late round picks than we could with the early ones.

QuakeAttack
The players you mention though (although I would replace Conway with Onstad) could fetch us a mid to low round draft pick, which, with expanded rosters and a deeper talent pool, could really fetch us a diamond in the rough.

Shaster
Your observation about the draft is spot on. Dominic needs to really scout these players out. In previous years, it looked like Frank and Dom were picking players just to pick players. However, now with expanded rosters and reserve teams, those players are more important than ever. Now they've become the future of the team. We're going to have to pick up as many quality players as possible, which means the team has to do its homework before the draft.

I agree, we should pick up Grabavoy while the asking price is low and while Sampson and Hamilton are in charge.