For me the logical trade partner here is Montreal. A good trade up would be for the Sounders to give Montreal all of their 2011 Super Draft and Supplemental draft picks in exchange for Montreal’s first pick. The Sounders could also throw in their combine and scouting reports for the players available in this year’s draft.

Montreal would gain the potential for a depth that it’s own draft picks won’t give it alone and a broader insight into the deeper rounds of the draft. The Sounders get a single pick that will actually stick with the team and whose GA status is valuable to the cap structure.

The Sounders don’t need draft players this year. As you point out, there are only likely to be one or two open slots on the roster once the dust settles. The Sounders have almost no value to picking 6 players and most of them not making the squad. The youth and inexperience of the draft class by in large means that they are going to have difficulty cracking the Sounders squad. The Sounders have too many young studs with skills and maturity. It’s not impossible, but I wouldn’t bet against the devil carrying a snowball into hell as an alternative.

So the Sounders picks have the most value as trade fodder. Bundling them all to move up is one option. Might as well go big. The other options are to exchange them for Allocation money, International slots or Allocation order. If the Sounders stand pat and simply use them to draft players, they will waste an opportunity.

I could even see the FO sweeten the deal with a single additional player. Say one of the young players they didn’t protect in the Expansion Draft like Fucito or Carrasco.

Another option would be to throw in a pick from next year if they think that Wenger will develop into a core player.