Evidently it's official. Earnie Stewart has signed with MLS. Speculation is that he goes to either DC or Dallas (with Dallas sending Vaca to the Metros to get the necessary allocation). However, if they make Graz's loan permanent, the Quakes get an allocation and it would be killer to get Stewart as his replacement. It's probably unlikely, but one can only dream. Just dream of the possibilities. Plug him in at right midfield to be the attacking mid in a lopsided system like Lagos was in the championship season. Keep Coralles on the left, move Ian to right back, and play DeRo and What's-his-name up top and we'd have a real interesting team. It wasn't until I started writing this that I thought of the possibility of grooming Ian Russell to be a right back. It may be a crazy idea, but I think he has the physical tools to be a good one after a little seasoning. It would vastly increase his chances of making the Nats since Arena likes outside backs with speed who can get forward. Not to say that Ian will ever get a sniff of a Nats camp, but it's interesting speculation. - Scott
Just a locker in the locker room. However, when considering the $$ it would take, surely it wasn't enough. We probably cleared enough for FY and Johnny to take Earnie out to lunch to discuss why he would like playing here.
What about Corrales at right back and Stewart on the right mid with Lagos on the left? Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?
Why? My take on it was that you only get an allocation if your major player goes and retires from football completely. At least I believe this is what JoeW outlined on the Burn boards.
I like that dream, Russ...but in order to pay Earnie, you'll have to restructure your multi-year deal. I would venture to say that there are those of us in Club Quake that might offer to keep Earnie in beer for his stay if that is any incentive to him. While we're dreaming, I still wouldn't mind seeing Mastroeni in a blue/black kit sometime soon...or Wolff. However, there IS that pesky "money" thing.
point number 1) I like the way you think, Scotto point number 2) Even if we get an allocation for Graz, it most likely wouldn't happen for a little while, and we would need it right now since Ernie's transferring sometime, oh, today from what I've been reading. Also, Chris Bergin interviewed Ivan Gazidis and Ivan said that the "you suck" allocations (DCU & Metro) take priority over the replacement player allocations (Colorado/Pibe, others). Oh yeah, there's also the money thing. If we re-sign Cannon and Barrett, we might not be able to afford a max. salary player to replace Graz if he goes. As I recall, we only got Graz last year because Dallas was willing to give us salary cap relief as part of the trade for Ronald, which means that we wouldn't have been able to afford Graziani even back in 2002 (which was before LDo got a raise, among others). Since Yallop gave the heave-ho to Lucci, I would assume that we're going to be getting a new striker, but probably more along the lines of a discovery or first-round draft pick. If Graz is able to get a transfer to Emelec, then great. If not, do you think he would be willing to take a pay cut to stay with the Quakes another year, or to be attractive enough to be trade bait to another MLS team? I'm very curious to see what transpires between now and the end of the Supa draft in terms of picks, trades, re-signings, etc. (While we're dreaming, which would you rather have anyway, Graz or Ernie, if you could only have one?)
I would take Ernie, I like Graz but I think the team would be better with Ernie in midfield and LD & DeRo up top.
When I first saw the thread I thought of Jeff Stewart (former Santa Clara Bronco, current Crapid) and I thought - there's our answer for right back!
Not gonna happen... Dutch is heading to LA, Dallas, or Chicago... but anywhere except San Jose... If he comes to MLS, the team would have to be gutted down in order to get someone who's in the late stages of his career it looks like...
Stewart isn't coming to San Jose. DC or Dallas. I don't think LA after their acquisition of Bo. Los Angeles, New England and Colorado are looking even better than last year. All three teams have acquired big players (LA- Bo, NE- Nowak, Colorado- Grimandi), without losing any critical players (Valderrama was a weakness). I really can't see SJ making a decent run with the way our team is shaping relative to these other teams. However it is another few months until the season begins.
Ernie.....Graz.....who cares, I would be happy as long as we have another marquis player besides Donovan. I have this creepy feeling in my gut that we will lose Graz, not get Stewart and the only new name on the roster will be Waibel.
Well, it's too early to worry. I believe Frank and Dominic didn't spend time in England, just doing bar-hopping ... Probably, Quakes can trade several draft picks for somebody .. we'll see soon.
Folks- don't you realize that if Graziani isn't picked up permanently in Ecuador that you are then over the cap and will be looking to lose salary and player(s) much less looking for new ones? That if Graziani stays with you, your chances of resigning Barrett and Cannon or, if you do sign them, keeping some other signed players go way down? You guys are flirting with cap heck (not as bad as Chicago-style cap hell, but still pretty limiting). Really, the only way you guys add anyone this year is if 1) Graziani is history and 2) you make a trade with an MLS team where they take one of your more expensive players (read: starter) in return for a very cheap player BTW, C-bus is in almost in the same situation. Their loan of McBride temporarily keeps them under the cap. As soon as he come back they go over the cap unless they clear cap space in the meantime.
Graz is gone Yes, we realize all of this. However, even though the loan hasn't been made permanent, I've heard from folks in the Quakes' office that Graz will not be back, period. Therefore, there is room to resign Barrett and Cannon and/or bring in some new talent.
Following that logic, why would Columbus not then "loan McBride permanently" or be over the cap? Based upon what you said with respect to the Quakes/Graziani financial arrangement, that would suggest that upon McBride's return in March, the Crew would be retroactively over the cap as well. I would tend to think that the loan of Graziani is also a creative financial move to clear some salary before the deadline. The 2 scenarios are the same--give or take a SI designation on an MLS roster. Not saying Graz is not gone for good but at this point, I doubt it. The timing of the loan is too coincidental.
The Crew will be over the cap limit when McBride comes back if they haven't in the meantime dumped salary (like Harkes to DC, etc.) Yes, loaning Graziani is a creative financial move- in the short term. It gives the Quakes some time to figure out what to do. But it doesn't all of a sudden create this cap space since with Graziani San Jose is over the cap limit and getting rid of him only allows San Jose to drop below the cap limit by, oh, 100K or less. And they haven't permanently gotten rid of him since the loan isn't yet permanent (meaning you won't get him back for no compensation.) If the loan does become permanent then you are 1) out one striker and have 2) about 100K in cap space. I doubt seriously that the Quakes can then resign both Cannon and Barrett from the "Ariel savings". If they do then other players must go. As for the draft, I'd look closely at the P-40 players as the team can't really afford a rookie who's on the regular roster (unless, again, they move other players). Notice that I haven't mentioned the Quakes adding players. They probably will be able to do that, but we are talking about players who will pull down 35-50K in salary, unless, again, they dump more players besides Graziani and either Barrett or Cannon. In terms of trading with other teams, the Quakes choices are: DCU- they have the most cap space even if they sign Stewart (which is probable). KC- will have some space metros- might create a little if Balboa's contract is restructured. Dallas probably has some too, though they have acknowledged that if they got Stewart, they would have to dump salaries also, even if they traded Vaca to the metros just for the allocation. Maybe Colorado has cap space but not much. Every other team is right at the cap limit so if you deal with them they won't help with the cap problem. This is why the only trade rumors news out of San Jose this winter once Donovan's stay became more permanent (which is what triggered the cap problems) has been about getting rid of Graziani: he was shopped and the other MLS teams said no thanks. The Graziani dilemma is also sort of like NE's problem now that they traded for Nowak. Nowak put them over the cap, and they tried to waive Chacon to get back under. But somehow, Chacon's contract is wierd and they couldn't just do that. So now Chacon and NE are trying to restructure the contract. but regardless they will probably have to waive him anyway very soon.