Damn! I wish I could figure out what is the deal on roster rules! Things that you ( or others ) tell me and I try to incorporate into my thinking. 1) roster slot #31 does not count against roster or international spot limits but the player cannot be used any time during season-check. and 2) players on loan are still included on roster unless loanee team assumes all of players salary- check. MLS stated an emphasis on roster rules compliance and correct roster listings by teams at start of season. The Fire belatedly appeared to hear this message and the Fire website roster listing was more up-to-date and accurate than in prior years. So recently both the Fire website and the MLS official(?) site had deleted both M Rodriquez and Bezerra, presumably due to their loan status. Only 28 players (plus Short Term ) shown on both rosters. Ok, so far. Now- you tell me that roster is full! What changed!
I asked Young Alex himself, the creator of the famous Chicago Fire Roster Tracker. This graphic comes from before the season started. Unless the loaned player's salary is picked up by the team he's loaned to he is still considered part of the roster.
I'm guessing that the roster is set for the rest of 2024. The Fire need to open roster spots so that means losing some players. I can see some team come in for Brady or Guti, but that is not what the fan base would be looking for. Does Lugano pick up Reynolds contract to get him off of the Fire's books? Does Arigoni go back to Lugano? There are 4 keepers on the senior roster which may be one too many for some.
Reynolds is already back in Chicago training with the Fire. Lugano is training right now. Do they regret bringing back two backup keepers, Omsburg, and Casas when they could have built a better balanced roster?
They're using garberbux to keep Dean & Richey on the supplemental roster. That's maybe 2 less Homegrowns you can sign. It's bad roster management to keep your 5th CB on the senior roster when you're so thin at the wide positions up and down the field.
Need a roster spot for every player on roster. Limit of 30 (plus inactive #31). If no spots available, must move somebody before acquiring a new player. Not a tough concept but….
Please ask young Alex if he knows why Bezerra and M Rodriquez were removed from both the Fire website and the MLS official (?) website roster listings after the loans if they still counted toward roster limits.
I can probably answer that. Because MLS. Even though they are not on the team/official website roster right now the Fire must still be on the hook for paying them. They probably don't believe Bezerra who is on the last year of his contract and turns 25 in '25, has a first team future in Chicago. They're doing him a solid by putting him in the shop window. Missa had a good first Next Pro season, then fell off last season. This season he's been solid at maybe a bit higher level than Next Pro but it's doubtful he is more than a squad player in MLS. Young Alex may be as wired into the doings of the team as any independent writer. Until shown otherwise I'll believe him when he says the roster is full. I don't know about the Dowd loan, but Bezerra & Rodriguez can be recalled at any time.
I love the Fire Roster Tracker and really appreciate it and all his efforts. I am not implying he is wrong, just trying to understand. He deserves compensation from Fire for doing the job of somebody else. Only in the MLS would it make sense to issue an edit that roster listing must be accurate or there will be consequences and then post a roster on their site that is ( apparently) inaccurate. Only in the MLS would they release 2024 Roster Rules and Regulations that say (under Loan of a Player by MLS) that ” During the loan period, the club will receive roster relief, but not Salary Budget relief unless….” and still continue to count loaned players toward roster limit. Only in the MLS. Still wondering why Bezerra and M Rodriquez names were removed from roster listings. Happy to see both of them given a chance to play
In summary then, Chicago Fire have 2 international slots open, due to new green cards, but no roster spots and all 3 DP slots and all 3 U22 slots are full. So that probably means that Heitz/Pelzer will sit on their dead asses until Feb 2025. They do not need much of an excuse to do nothing to solve player problems. Or maybe they will go on vacation for a month or two. That is what people do in Europe.
Per today's press conference, Frank indicated they are "always looking for ways to improve the team/roster". He shared some "wet blanket" with regard to how quickly someone could be signed, visa completed, and integrated with the team...might be able to help in the last 7 games or so. And then went back to hope-ium...this is a window when things can happen and we would of course welcome upgrades....or something like that. To your point, space would have to be made...and the second buyout has not been made an official thing. I haven't seen any further details about the purposed changes to the roster rules. Seems Heitz has been using every inch of the rule book, so unless he can sell/trade a player we are where we are.
Selling/trading/acquiring players is what rostering is all about. Inability to do the main function overwhelms any minuscule rule book loophole knowledge.
a good summer signing is -- to me -- more about next year than this year you do it in the summer instead of the winter due to the way the season calendars work out in the other global leagues
The only argument I can think of ‘to wait’ is if you are looking to collect a meaningful number of moves for a new GM/Coach…as most don’t want to have to live with someone else’s mess. otherwise it’s like planting trees…next best to plant time is NOW
I feel like a good number of signings the past several windows were well received but didn’t pan out. As @Pennsylvania Dave said, the last window was the best so far so in Heitz’s reign. I want to see us make a run this year so make the moves you can make.
I'm with you if we add a true difference maker...this roster isn't "full reboot" bad. But if Heitz just brings another Doumbia....
Roster-wise, all that is needed to move Fire to mid-table (6 to 10) - two quality (replacement) DPs that address team needs and mesh with current players.
oh wow, the buy option is new to me and surprising is that because they feel really good about Brady sticking around for a while with Los to follow after?
Do not give yourself a major headache trying to figure out what those two are doing. They probably just checked the wrong box on a form.
Secondary Transfer Window: Thursday, July 18 to Wednesday, August 14 OK so MLS summer transfer window opens in about 3 weeks. I have some questions: What do you all think is going to happen? Will Heitz and Pelzer get yet another crack at signing some big name DP and TAM/GAM guys? Are we doomed to wash and repeat? Or... has Joe decided to move on from those guys and won't fork over the cash so he can attract another Sporting Director/Technical Director/Coach by having the current batch of decent pieces (Brady, Cuypers, Acosta, Guti, MHS) and a slew of empty slots to fill by a guy with a winning vision? I think of George Jetson on the treadmill. "Jane, stop this crazy thing!" Are there any rumors...at...all? What types of players would you sign? Would you continue to let Guti develop in the middle of the park or would you sign a bonafide James Rodriguez type guy? Wingers? Center back or DM? Humor me...I'm getting my head out of being busy and coming up for air. On the one hand signings are good but also, this season is pretty much toast. I mean the Fire *could* make the playoffs but to me this is more about Heitz. If there are signings Heitz stays. If there are not I think we see a big turnover in the Fire front office after the season. Honestly if Shaqiri moves on to Turkeye and the Fire get $$ for him I'm happy about the outgoing. Nothing personal to the guy. It's just not working. It's not me, it's you. Wait...it's not you it's me. Oops.