Time to play arm chair Adrian, it’s five weeks until the international transfer window and you have an opportunity to upgrade you team. For the sake of this exercise I’m assuming that we aren’t going to sell anyone and that the only resources we have available are the 100k we got in cap space by buying out White’s contract at the beginning of the year. That basically gives you enough money to sign a 200k a year player to an 18 month agreement. If you are Hanauer what position do try to upgrade? For me there are two options: 1. Left Back: Burch and Leo have been OK but I really don’t think either of them offer a ton in the attack or have the speed to cover the wealth of speedy right sided attackers we will continue to see. 2. Center Mid: I’m not an Evans hater but he has been very fragile over the last 40 games or so and the drop off is very noticeable when he can’t make it on the field. If memory serves the amount above is about what we paid Friberg last season and Friberg and his possession passing would be a welcome upgrade over either Rose or Caskey at this point in time. Don’t get me wrong I think that Rose and Caskey can develop into starting Center Mids but I think if an MLS Cup is the goal this year we an need upgrade.
I don't really feel like we have any particular area that needs upgrading that we can reasonably afford to upgrade. Our center midfield is solid and deep. I like Evans. I like Rose and Caskey. I really like Rose. LB - we have two serviceable - not great LBs. But please find me better LBs that you can get for under 75-100k. I don't think they exist. Then what do you do w/Leo and Burch? That's 250k of salary doing jack shit on the bench. We have Zakuani coming back and a very crowded wide midfield/forward section. There's the usual scuttlebutt about transferring Fernandez to free up some cash to buy someone else/make room for Zak...but I don't see who we'd bring in or bump out. I'm really happy with our roster right now. We just need to get them all healthy.
Going of last years numbers Burch and Leo combined make 205K and the rumor is that Burch took a pay cut when he came to Seattle so 175K is closer to right. As for being able to find a quality LB for 100k at mid year that is almost exaclty what we paid to get Leo in 2009 and I thoought he was one of the better LB in the leauge in 2009-2010.
Not sure it works that way for non DP players. I think they count the full amount against the cap. So if you sign someone to a 200k a year 18 month contract they count 200k against this years cap. I know it doesn't make sense, but I think that is the way it works. Someone can come correct me if I am wrong.
I would like to see an attacking defender, someone like Riley. I cant say i liked him too much when he was with us (i was always yelling at him, then he would do something right and you go "nevermind"), coming up out of defense in over laps can be dangerous but i like that style. But if there is anything we need i think its either left back or right back.
...when? I don't see him as a solid 90-minute contributor in 2012. If you do, then you are drinking out of a huge "Oh Yeah" pitcher of rave green Kool-Aid. For this year, I wouldn't even consider him as a viable option. For 2013+ who knows.
It does I'm talking about signing a player for 100k for the second half of this year and then 200k for the second full season. We should have 100k in cap space for this year. This would actually be a better deal then we gave Leo in 2009 when we brought him on board. With most leagues being out of season I have to imagine there is a decent Left Back somewhere at that price. To put a different way that sort of money would get you Rochat from Vancouver who was signed out of the Swiss league and who I would consider and upgrade over either of our starters. For less money you could get a player like Roy Miller who was signed out of the Norwegian League and is higher on the Costa Rican depth chart then Leo.
I understand what you are saying. The Roster rules make no mention of allowing teams to do that whereas they specifically mention reducing the salary cap hit for DPs. So even though the player would only receive 100k for the 1/2 season they would still count as 200k against the cap. The reason for that is because at mid season everyone else is half way through the season. The reason they drop the price for DPs is to encourage teams to sign them while the DPs are likely between seasons and in a transfer window for their current club. http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/roster-rules-and-regulations
I understand your point now I would be suprised if the leauge would go in and double your cap hit for sigining a half season player and I've never heard of it being done before.
That's not where I was going with the comment but here's some thoughtful constructive criticism to your response: Go ******** yourself.
So I'm not going to quote the original post, but Adrian Hanauer said that OBW's salary hit was already accounted for before they bought it out. If there's any cap space, OBW's salary isn't a part of it.
yeah, i remember hearing something about that as well, iron horse...so, i don't see anything happening unless we sell someone. and, i really don't see us doing that. not that adrian won't, just i don't think the offers will be there for flaco/fredy, for the kind of money adrian wants for them
I think Adrian said it best during the pre-season when everyone was up in arms about us not signing a new 3rd DP. There won't be a jaw dropping addition to the team without a jaw dropping subtraction. We might get a new player, but I'm not sure that player will be a starter and they definitely won't be a DP unless Flaco or Fredy are sold.
Wow. If that's the best you could come up with after some "thoughtful" constructive criticism, I shudder at the thought as to what your response would be if it was just shot from the hip with no thought whatsoever. My point was you're putting a helluva lotta stock and hope that Zakuani will be playing significant and meaningful minutes in 2012. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see him at a full recovery this year, I don't see that happening; maybe you do. Let's wait and see. But I don't think it is wise to bank on that hope at this time, especially at the expense of bumping or transfering Fernandez out to make room. Now you can go back to your deep thoughts.
Think of it this way. The Cap is at 3 mill at the start of the season. Half way through the season players have earned half their salary for the year. So the cap is now at 1.5 mill. So, sure, we pay the player 100k for half a season. But the half season cap is 1.5 mill.
Yes, I think we are looking at tweaking 'round the edges. Dramatic additions and subtractions are more likely to come by trade - Flaco for a DP or near-max guy on a team that is sucking - and that is not very likely, either. Pigs may take flight from my neither regions sooner, but I think Flaco for Donovan or Flaco for Frings would benefit both players and both clubs. I agree with those who think we need to upgrade at central mid. It's not that I don't rate Rose, Caskey, Evans, etc. It's that Ossie has gone from good to, for my money, the best holding mid in the league, and when he is out, we are just slightly above average. Sometimes, that's just the way it is in a parity league. LA was toast in MLS cup when Robin Fraser suffered a broken clavicle. RSL was toast in the CCL final when Beckerman was suspended. What chance Houston had in MLS Cup was done when Davis was injured. But I can dream we can win trophies even if Ossie is hurt or suspended, can't I?
My most likely not to happen wish for summer transfer window an actually good RW back up to Rosales. Sivebaek apparently wasn't the answer since hes not even getting on the 18.
I was just coming here to post that a local news source in Kaiserslautern mentioned he is in Seattle right now talking to the team. And it is now in Kicker as well.
What can you tell us about him? Is the only reason he's leaving your team because you guys got relegated?
He led the Bundesliga in assists last season and was one of the main reasons they punched above their heads. This season was chaos at Kaiserslautern and the problems were the strikers. He has great vision, works hard, and is a leader on the field. Kaiserslautern is a tough place to play at and the fans are not very forgiving. He definitely wanted to get out after this nightmare season, which is the worst one in club history. The quote from him mentioned that he had opportunities from other clubs in Germany, but wanted to try somewhere new. He is looking for a change in scenery and was intrigued about playing in the US.
Hmm.. Conflicting reports out of Seattle on this then. The Sounders do acknowledge that he is in Seattle, but are saying that it was just a meet and greet session and that they are not negotiating a contract with him right now. Bringing the players to Seattle for a game or two is common practice with the Sounders. They want to "impress" the players with the crowd and, in most cases, it works. Sounders confirm interest in Christian Tiffert, discussions of a contract deemed "premature
You do not fly a player like Tiffert in for "a meet and greet session". I am pretty sure they are talking numbers with him and with Kaiserslautern talking about him being in Seattle I am sure there are some early discussions going on.