Off-Season Roster Moves: Trades, Free Agents, MLS Draft and Academy

Tangent: The end of next season sets up nicely for us yet again. 6 of our last 9 are at home, and 3 of our last 4 are at home.

Hopefully we don't leave it till the last game though...since it's away to KC...

 

The reason I didn't mention the playoffs is because while they are extra games, we're going to be using our first choice lineup for them. Those are games that come at the end of the season after all the other competitions are complete. CCL happens during the year, and because the schedule is congested, it affords opportunities to more younger players. Just look at some of the young lineups LA trotted out for CCL this year compared to what they did in the playoffs.

Regardless, I think we agree on the overall point. CCL is only 4 games, so it's not going to all of a sudden result in a significant jump in playing time for fringe guys. Perhaps it gives those players an opportunity to impress and join the regular rotation, but I'd like to think if they're worthy they will prove themselves in practice and be getting playing time anyway.

 

Sport mentality is WIN ALL that is the only thing that count.... So, start from he pre-season games the team have to be ready to play around 50 games, the coach have to plan a season of 50 games and train the players for that and since the first whistle at the opening of the season you have to start rotating players to be ready to play at any minute during the season to be able to compete....

 

I guess it depends on how successful we are as a unit. Last year we were knocked out of the Open Cup pretty early so that really didn't hurt us too much scheduling wise but if we get out of the group stages of the CCL and go further in the Open Cup we are looking at an additional 6+ games added to the schedule.

I think the team can handle it as we have alot of depth on the roster. We just need add another striker as without Henry we might struggle at times but I think Pegguy can fill in that role but we still need another guy up front.

GK: Robles, Meara, Costanza
RB: Kimura, Hulk
LB: Miller, Convey, Lade
CB: Olave, Hulk, Sekayga, Miazaga
RM: Sam, Alexander, BWP, Obekop, Bover
LM: Steele, Convey, Lade
CM: Cahill, Dax, Pegguy, Alexander, Bustamante, Bover
CAM: Pegguy, Obekop(?)
F: Henry, BWP, Cahill, Pegguy, Akpan, Moreno

We have alot of depth on the roster and guys who can play multiple positions just as well as their first(Lade, Cahill, Convey, Pegguy, etc)

It's going to be exciting but like I mentioned before we still need more fire power up top. It's critical to have legit attacking options up front especially when the first guys are getting rest. Having guys like Akpan up top in the Open Cup is going to get us eliminated again and it's something that has hurt us in the past in that competition.

I think a guy we should look to grab is Claudio Bieler from SKC. He doesn't fit their style all to well and rumor is that he's expandable. He would be a great addition here next to Henry up top.

In the MLS you're only as good as your attacking options imo. I'm also confident that Petke can coach up the defense even if the talent is not there necessarily.

Edit: I also think the CCL group stages start around August. We'll have time to address needs by then so I'm not actually worried about the games.(still want a striker

 

I think Akpan mentioned part of the reason he resigned is because he thinks there is a better chance of him getting playing time this year based on what Petke and Co. told him. Still want another body to start in the position Cahill vacates depending on if we use him more up top or in midfield this year. Also another body at right back wouldn't hurt so Hulk is just a centerback. I'm happy with our squad though

 

Money, money, money, that is the head ache.....

We have to start whit the roster we have, right now we have :
2 +1 GKs, a full house....
7 + 1 defenders, here we will need at least 2 or 3 if Holgersson left....
7 + 2 defenders, here we will need 1 or 2 more players and,
4 + 1 Forwards, here we will need one more player, That make a total of:

20 of 20 Sr players plus 5 of 10 reserve players for a total of 25 players, all this based on, that Bustamante for the age and Lade and Christianson for the salary will turn on as Sr. players in 2014, so, practically we can't sign no body else if isn't a one for one transaction, the, who will we send to SKC for Bieler, Miara or Robles or both for the transfer fee....And beside that, Bieler will demand a DP salary or the limit of 375K, in my point of view this never will happen because will be to expensive for the RBNY, I think that bring a foreign new player will be cheap than Bieler or any other MLS player for that case, maybe not for the salary, but for the demands as fee that the teams will demand.... Like I say before, money, money, money.....

 

It's January 2nd. The draft and preseason start in 14 days. The European transfer window closes in 1 month.

Tick tock tick tock tick tock...

 

I think Jermaine jones wants an MLS move, he and Dax in the middle with Henry and Cahill up top would be good

 

We don't need him at all and it doesn't fit a need. As far as I'm concerned he'd fill the same role of Dax(as a destroyer) and I'd rather have Dax since he's proven to be a great player for us.

If we are going to get a DP we should waste it on a forward such as a Claudio Bieler.

 

Red Bulls parted ways with defender Markus Holgersson

 

I'm bummed to see Holgersson go, always been a fan of his even when he struggled at the start. He was a bit expensive but turned into a rock solid defender who paired especially well with Olave. Now our center back depth chart consists of two 33 year olds, one of whom can't play on turf, and a completely unproven 18 year old... no way we don't bring in AT LEAST one more proven center back by the end of the off season.

 

Now the wishlist is one RB, one CAM, one CB. The sad thing about losing Hulk is that he was our most durable defender, so we really need Olave to stay relatively healthy next season

 

Agreed. As much shit as he has taken on this board, his defending was quite good after his first couple months and his ball skills were seriously underrated.

 

I was shocked that Olave stayed as healthy as he did after missing over a dozen games for RSL in 2012. Definitely need more cover than just Miazga...

The worrying thing is that Roxburgh yet again cited cap constraints, so how effective of a replacement can we really expect to find if we still need money allocated to other priorities like RB and CAM as you mentioned?

 

Don't like that move at all and now we'll have to find a new scapegoat...

It's a stupid move to get rid of one of our most consistent and healthier players on the squad. TBH, Olave is a great CB but he's more costly(75K more) and has history of injury problems and not to mention he'll be 33 in April..

If we would have got rid of Miller and Akpan that would have been enough to keep the Hulk.. Or even Sam(who I like) but we have better cover at RM than we do at CB.. Or Kimura Or Convey, etc. If the Hulk wanted a raise than that's another story

I guess this means we'll be trying to draft someone which would be interesting.

 

Hate to say I told you so but......if the Red Bulls wanted to make a few new signings they were going to have to give a big contract up.

Now this move certainly isn't ideal. Hulk had some bad moments, but he really grew into his role to become one of the most effective (and healthiest/most consistent) CB's in the league. I for one thought his 200k price tag was validated. Unfortunately we have this thing called a salary cap so a lot of times if you want something you have to give something up. Hulk, like Cooper and Espindola before him, was a casualty of the cap. He's not the first and he won't be the last.

CB is going to be a little more unsettled this year than we had hoped. However, if you want a more balanced and deeper team you have to roll the dice on a few things. We can't count on Olave and Sekagya to play all season. So either Miazga is getting the go ahead from management and/or they're going to sign another CB for depth AND/OR they're thinking of converting someone like say maybe Christianson into a CB (pure speculation).

IMO this also signals the fact that they are VERY close to a new signing. Split that 200k into 2 depth guys, or blow it all on an impact player...what will they do...?

 

We don't need two depth guys or one impact player on defense though, we need one impact player (for RB) AND one depth player (for CB). Can Roxburgh and Petke get that done for $200k? Pretty tall task if you ask me but Petke's has proven his eye for cheap talent over the past few years.

 

I think one of the biggest losses here is Holgersson's durability. He averaged 2828 minutes played per season (about 31.5 games) and picked up zero red cards in two years. Olave averages only 2114 minutes per season and at least one red card. Not sure what Sekagya's history is with injuries, but he's even older than Olave and also managed to pick up a red card in 1/2 a season, although I still have trouble really blaming him for that one.

There's just no way that we don't sign another centerback, just gotta hope they can get a quality guy for cheap.

 

I think we've probably got more than the 200k from Hulk. F#cking impossible to tell since MLS isn't exactly transparent. Some guys renegotiated down, some got raises, guys were let go, Convey was signed, we got some allocation money for the Champions League...etc.

 

This helps explain a bit, apparently his last contract year came with a pay raise to $250k a year. That would be $525k spent on our starting central defenders...

http://www.empireofsoccer.com/terminate-holgerssons-contract-22319/

 

68k Akpan
71k Alexander
35k Bover
47k Bustamante
369k Cahill
35k Castano
47k Christianson
215k Convey
369k Henry
100k Kimura
59k Lade
80k Luyindula
223k McCarty
66k Meara
66k Miazga
124k Miller
35k Moreno
35k Obekop
325k Olave
78k Robles
130k Sam
159k Sekagya
108k Steele
93k BWP

2013 Cap: $2,950,000

Roster spots 21-30 don't count against the cap.

The current top 20 earners on our team come in at $2,797,000 (based on LAST YEAR'S SALARIES). Some players renegotiated at a lower salary, some got raises, etc. so lets call it a wash.

Which leaves us with $153,000...plus the 100k for Champions League = $253,000

 

We really aren't in terrible shape. All of these guys could get the job done on any MLS team:

FW: Henry, BWP
CM: Dax, Cahill, Peggy, Alexander
LM: Convey, Steele
RM: Sam, Alexander
CB: Olave, Sekagya
LB: Miller, Convey
RB: ??????
GK: Robles, Meara

IMO rightback is our obvious need as I don't think Kimura could win that role on any MLS team. Beyond the guys listed above you want to build quality depth and a youth core and I for one think we have a number of decent depth guys.

We need to sign 6 more players. For my money you:

1. Spend money on 1 legit RB.
2. Spend money on 1 depth player at CB.
3. If there's major cash left (probably not) then great. Sign someone.
4. Reward an academy guy or 2 if they deserve it and keep the pipeline of local youth talent coming.
5. Get a college guy or 2.

There's your 6 players. Start the season, see where you are at the break and make adjustments from there.

 

That I say is the way to go, a Jr. DP 100/150K.... I predicted the Holgerson bye, bye because having Zekagya on board will be a stupid idea sit any of them, so the logic was Holgerson departure.... Now bring Barklage back....

All players have a automatic 5% increase and the 21-30 players don't count against the CAP always if they are not 25 years old or if the salary is over the RS limit or they have two years playing, so kokoplus make the list one more time.... Axpan is 25 now, Bustamante will be 25, Meara and Lade they are going on they third year already....

 

I don't think that's true. The CAP is raised by 5% each year, every player in the league doesn't get a 5% raise every year.