If Mauro Rosales Was Sounders' 3rd Designated Player, Would It Change Anything?
by Jeremiah Oshan on Aug 22, 2011 7:01 AM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Regular Season
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There's been a lot of virtual ink spilled, here and elsewhere, over the Seattle Sounders' inability to pick up a third Designated Player at the close of the summer transfer window. We know all about how the Sounders felt they were very close to getting their man -- generally believed to be Hoffenheim's Prince Tagoe -- but that they came up just short. After the way Mauro Rosales has been playing, though, I've been wondering if maybe the Sounders already have their third DP, he just happens to make about $42,000 this year.
Obviously, adding talent is better than not adding talent. I'm not going to try to make the argument that Rosales' mere presence makes the Sounders better than if they had signed another player. Assuming the Sounders were really after Tagoe, we can all fantasize about Rosales having one more weapon at whom he could direct perfectly weighted crosses.
What I would like to do is pretend this season is happening in an alternate universe where everything is exactly the same save for one fact: Mauro Rosales is making about 10 times more money and is the Sounders' third DP. In this world, the Sounders were not looking for a big-name signing as the transfer window. Fans were too focused on the three competitions in which the Sounders were competing to spend too much time worrying about the sweet nothings a Bundesliga coach may have been whispering into his seldom-used forward's ear.
In this world, the Sounders have the second best record in MLS, are getting ready for the U.S. Open Cup semifinal and are 1-0-0 in the CONCACAF Champions League. Mauro Rosales has four goals, seven assists, boasts a Points Per 90 of 0.85 and has emerged as a darkhorse candidate for MLS's Most Valuable Player.
Of course, we don't have to try very hard to imagine this world. The Sounders are, in fact, enjoying what could very well end up being the best season in their relatively short MLS history and Rosales is arguably the biggest reason why.
Rosales made his starting debut on April 2 against the San Jose Earthquakes, he has been among the league's best players. On that night, he assisted on Brad Evans' goal in what turned out to be a 2-2 tie.
At that early point in the season, the two goals represented a season-high for the Sounders. Turned out, it was a harbinger of things to come.
Rosales has now played 1,583 minutes this season. With him on the field, the Sounders score at a clip of about 1.5 goals per 90 minutes. In the roughly 750 minutes without him, the Sounders' scoring average dips to 1.1. Not surprisingly, the Sounders are outscoring their opponents by about .45 goals per 90. Without him, that dips to barely .12.
The actual results are even more stark. Rosales has started 18 games this season. In those games, the Sounders have gone 10-2-6, which translates to a Points Per Match of 2.0.
Not only is that a Supporters' Shield winning pace this year, but maintained over a 34-game season, the Sounders would break the post-2001 MLS record for points in a season (before then, there were no ties). That pace would also tie the 2005 San Jose Earthquakes for best PPM post-2001.
In the eight games in which Rosales has not started, the Sounders have claimed just nine points. That's a PPM of 1.13, or worse than eve the Portland Timbers (sixth worst in the league).
As with any great DP, what makes Rosales great goes beyond numbers. He never seems overwhelmed by any situation. Three of his four goals have come after the 80th minute and six of his seven assists have either tied the score or given the Sounders the lead. His teammates seem to love playing with him and fans have been smitten ever since he was revealed as #thetrialist.
I'm not saying the Sounders should just rip of Rosales' contract and hand him a 10-fold raise. Assuming he's not fielding offers from all over the world, there's no business reason to throw around that kind of money. Based purely on his performance, though, I know I couldn't complain. More to my point, if he was already a DP, would you think of him as anything less than a smashing success?
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Smashing Success
Rosales is and would still be considered a smashing success if he was a DP. The fact that we got him for $42k this year still baffles me and makes me wonder what kind of contract he has (i’m sure he’ll get a raise, just how much is the question). I definately think that he’d be worth what we pay any of our higher paid defenders or forwards (thinking Jaqua, Hurtado, etc), but if we can get away paying him a little less, ok then.
On the flip side of this, if you did the same comparison with Zakuani (when he played vs didn’t play prior to Rosales coming here, how did he impact the team?), I’d venture to guess that his 11 goals 6 assists were pretty pivotal last year. I think the same case could have been made for him too.
I *really* hope
we find out his W-2 at the end of the year has more than $42,000 on it.
Question along with this
I wonder if not signing a 3rd DP did end up giving Rosales a raise for the 2nd half of the year…. It gave us a lot of cap room that we are not using and he would be the person that I would think would be 1st in line for a raise….I just don’t know if they could have renegotiated the contract or what have you during that window (or would want to since he was just signed less then 6 months prior).
Proper
I think that would have been the proper thing to do after not signing the 3rd dp slot away. Give Rosales a bonus, leave enough money to cover any raise in cap we may have if we trade a lower priced player for a higher priced one.
They could renogiate the contract
but why would they without an extension? Especially if there are no other offers for his services.
Athletes aren’t paid based on their performance, but on their perceived value to other teams.
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Sounder At Heart
....
to make sure he continues to be happy and wants to stay here? It’s the little things that you do along the way that keep him happy with the org. Little things can sway a player so much, and by giving a player what he deserves, he’ll then feel more appreciated and continue to try his hardest.
Your comment would be like a boss in the corporate world saying, why should we offer any more benefits than we currently have, the employee signed the dotted line to work for us for what we offered them then, why would we give them any more benefits. Well, when that employee starts feeling under appreciated by the company because he’s been outperforming or doing more than he was hired to do, they are going to leave. In this case, yes the player is in a contract and is locked from leaving, but when that contract is over, why wouldn’t they leave if they haven’t been kept happy by the org?
But there's no evidence he's unhappy
so spending cap money now just to up his pay for the last few months would be foollish.
The team still has the opportunity to add talent, unless they do as you think they should.
Now, if they extend the contract another year using some space now, that would make sense. But paying him right now for just a few months isn’t good cap management
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Unless my understanding is wrong
Unless my understanding is wrong, they should in theory have enough to do both. A DP hit for half a year = 167k, bringing in a new player, we’d only have to pay for half of a year, which unless we’re planning on trading for a DP and not going to try again in the summer window, it would only make sense that the likely player coming in would be slated for around 200k a year (225k in the case of Johnson). At half of that (100k), that still leaves you plenty of room to give Rosales a little bonus.
I do agree, that the best option however would be to give him a little more and to add a year or two onto his contract all at once (again if I’m not mistaken, he should already have a multi-year deal, because I thought that was how signing with our league worked…typical MLS contract means you’re locked in for at least 2 years?). If you can maneuver your funds to front load his contract, I think you have to do it so that you can ensure he stays here for more time and for as low a hit towards the cap you can get each year for the remainder of his contract.
Why wouldn't they try to improve the team right now?
That’s the cap space you want to spend.
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I'm not saying to spend it all
If it’s the case that they believe he deserves a bonus of some sort, I’m saying give him a small bonus. I’m not saying use all of your cap space on Rosales and do nothing else. If it comes down to signing him to a longer contract, then I think it’s a well made sacrifice to use the cap space to front load a longer contract for him and forgo adding onto the roster this year, which would be more of a long term approach to gaining value (ensuring that he’s here for a longer amount of time and giving us a better chance at having a team that’s competing year in and year out).
My thoughts weren’t to give him a 100k bonus or anything of the like, but I’m sure he would see the love in a 40k bonus and the other 120k put into the increased pay of a trade from a player we have now (and in reality, if we trade a guy like Ianni who makes 85k for someone who makes around 200k, that’s 115k a year in increased salary cap hit, which means 60k for half the year).
I have a hard time wrapping my head around how our team is going to use all of their salary cap this year if they were in fact able to sign another DP. If it comes down to a use it or lose it scenario with this money, then why not use it? If it turns into allocation $$, then I can understand not wanting to spend it, otherwise…give me a reason not to?
In regards to allocation $$ spent to bring down DP Cap hits, is this money spent once we say we’re going to pay down a DP Cap hit, or is it only spent if we in fact need to? Say we pay down Monteros DP cap hit, then at the end of the year we don’t use all of our cap, can we go back to the league and say, well it didn’t work out the way we thought it would, so we want to re-designate how Montero’s contract hit our cap and not use the allocation money but rather the rest of our salary cap?
Some of this is stuff that we'll never know
but my sense is that “allocation money” is more theoretical since it’s just being passed around within single-entity teams. I’m not sure there’s actual money changing hands and whatnot. That said, we do have cap space. I don’t think Rosales is going to get a raise just because it’s “the right thing to do” but I’m sure he’ll be taken care of one way or another.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Aug 22, 2011 9:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Agree'd
I agree that the allocation money is just a number, and my hope is that it’s not decided that you’re using allocation money until all windows are closed and you can see how everything hit your cap and do what you need to make sure you are not over cap.
Now, being realistic, I can see a chance that the league goes the other way also and just says that since we bought down Montero’s DP hit, that allocation is gone once we’ve made that designation.
it probably is
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Aug 22, 2011 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions
This would be an easy question
if it weren’t for also having Alonso and Zakuani. Without a doubt, all three of these guys could be DP material in my mind. I don’t know what Alonso/Zakuani’s contracts look like (how far out are they signed?) but at the least, if they are signed for a couple more years we could potentially worry about that later, and make sure we figure out how to keep Rosales here.
Foggy
Somewhere in my foggy memory, I was led to believe that Zak’s contract was a 5 year….Something around Sigi saying that we had him locked in for at least 2 more years or something…
Yes, but...
…if there’s one thing I’ve learned about soccer, it’s that long-term contracts are meaningless in the context of making sure a player stays here (have you ever heard of a player requesting a transfer and the club refusing to let him go?), as opposed to the context of making sure the transfer fee we can get for them is as large as possible.
.
Ozzie was extended last off season – I think we have him through 2013.
by magistermilitum on Aug 22, 2011 7:49 AM PDT reply actions
Good piece
easy to lose perspective when you’re following the team so closely…
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Should have credited
my friends young daughter Yuki, who drew this at the Chivas game for me.
Alright, I'm going to duck
on this one. But understand, I’m a HUGE Rosales fan and this is just a talking point.
Is it possible that we’re having this discussion, Rosales/DP, because the two DPs we have sometimes underperform? I’m not going to argue that Fernandez and Montero haven’t had monster games this season (they absolutely have), but one might reasonably expect that a DP would perform at that level (Rosales’ level?) consistently, game in and game out, with little variation on that theme (yup, throw in the occasional clunker). I’d take that a step further, most of the DPs in this league haven’t performed consistently at the level of Rosales.
Just a talking point and I’m not sure I even have a position on any of this. But I do believe that Rosales has been as effective for us as any DP in the league for any team. Goals aside, he brings a level of constant aggression that is a joy to behold. Compare that to Fernandez who has has some utterly tantalizing games for us and Montero who often goes from one game of sheer genius to another game of little impact.
I don't think you, nor I believe that
From how you are writing and the general feeling everyone is getting, I don’t think that’s the reason this discussion is happening. I think it’s happening because he’s catapulted our offense and consistently brings his best, game in and game out. If FL10 had come here and done what Rosales has done, he would still be here. I think that the reason we are having this conversation is because he is easily the reason that we are still in the picture this season after the injuries to Zak and OBW.
The key thing to keep in mind is that Montero and Alvaro are both DPs because the Sounders want to maximize their return when they're sold off
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 22, 2011 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Side topic: Fernandez has been a beast this year
I feel like he still doesn’t get a ton of love. I think his underwhelming performances last season are still stuck in people’s memory. But he’s really upped his game. Incredible footwork, improved speed, and winning headers galore. For sure another incredible find by our FO. It’s hard to believe people were predicting his transfer out in the summer window earlier this season.
by chrisperry1983 on Aug 22, 2011 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions
It's hard to argue with his production
He’s tied among Sounders for MLS goals with six. A very respectable production for a non-superstar type DP. Especially considering Sigi has been rotating that left mid spot throughout the season.
Clarification needed on this alternate universe
So in this alternate universe, do we get Zakuani back? Because that changes things significantly here. When Mauro came to us, he was a trialist. Given his age, salary, and my reading between the lines a little bit, I’m suspicious this may have been one of his last shots in his career. Granted, he’s played for Ajax and the Argentine National Team, but he wasn’t a world beater there. I’m suspicious that it was either the Sounders, or he was going to hang up his boots for good possibly. I could be way off here, but I think I’m in the right neighborhood.
Given that, if Zakuani doesn’t get injured, I think Rosales is riding the bench still. If he were a DP, we’d be silly not to find ways to work him into the lineup, but since he’s only making $42,000 in the real universe, I think he sits while bigger investments get time on the field. Since we don’t have Zakuani, we had a real need and Rosales was given a chance to fill that need. And fill it he did. He’s definitely made the most of the opportunities he’s been given. I think he’ll end the season with $42,000, but either he or the club will renegotiate next season to somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000. Given his age, I still don’t think he’ll be a DP.
Basically what I’m saying is, the planets aligned for Rosales and he didn’t waste his opportunities. As a result, the Sounders are probably a much better team now than they would have been otherwise. I just can’t wait to get Zakuani back on the field with Mauro. At that point, who needs a 3rd DP.
If Zakuani and White were healthy
Rosales would still be in the starting 11. His effort, talent and teamwork cannot be hidden by circumstance.
Rosales = Starter
I think as we saw with Fernandez earlier in the year riding the bench, the team puts little into the thought that just because you’re paying a player a boatload, doesn’t mean you have to play them. You play your best team. I think that if Zak was not injured we’d have a look at Zak on the left with Rosales on the right and Friberg and Fernandez switching it up in the middle (along with Evans). I don’t think anyone of those 3 could take Rosales spot on the right, and Zak works the left, so I don’t understand how he would take the position on the right?
Makes me feel bad for guys I've grown to love who will be displaced
Neagle especially. I love his story for one, but he’s also turned into a great, key player for the team. I can’t see him being in the starting XI once some people make their returns.
by chrisperry1983 on Aug 22, 2011 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
Maybe not on a regular basis....
He’ll be there….We’re in 3 competitions….we’ll continue to utilize some of those players that are continually showing that they can perform during reserve games and during the chances they get..
Hopefully, we'll be in even more games next year
If everything goes well…we’ll have the knockout rounds of the CCL competition to start the season. Followed by league, CCL group stages and Open Cup. We’ll need every talented player we can get our hands on. <<Knock on Wood!>>
He's one of the guys who might be in Montreal next year.
We are losing somebody.
by Jack Brando on Aug 22, 2011 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Thought of this too
Would rather see Montano go there though…and he’s on loan currently…The other thing we have to worry about is what happened last year with Nyassi…someone wants a player and trades Montreal a pick to get them (or Allocation $$, or whatever).
Without Keller in the mix, the expansion draft is a little easier to weather
I honestly don’t think the Sounders will have a huge problem this year protecting their young guns. They could easily protect Fucito, Neagle and Carrasco.
FM, Flaco, Rosales, Zak, Hurtado, Parke, Alonso, and then either Friberg or Evans.
May not opt to go this way, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me.
by Abbott Smith on Aug 22, 2011 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions
my thoughts
So you aren’t protecting Wahl, Ianni, Gonzalez, Jaqua, Riley and Friberg or Evans? I think that at least 2 of these will be protected (gotta think that we keep some defenders besides Hurtado and Parke)…
1 loss isn’t that bad, but I would want to make sure that we keep at least 1 in each of the back positions. If the team likes Wahl over Gonzalez, then why give Montreal the option to pick either…make them pick the one you don’t want. On the other side, if they pick Riley…..who is stepping in (Scott)?
Also
Also, if you pick up another GK, he’ll be on that protected list I would think…
No need to add a keeper before the expansion draft
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Sounder At Heart
A team would be crazy to pick him
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Blessing in disguise for us?
I assume we want to keep him around. But with his injury history with TFC and now this freak blood clot thing, maybe he’s safe without protection?
by chrisperry1983 on Aug 22, 2011 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions
"Safe without protection"
That could be taken in so many different directions.
You will hear us on Brougham, you will hear us on Occidental, you will hear us on King. Our yachts are all around you, there is no escape.
As I said...
This alternate universe is exactly the same except for how much Rosales gets paid.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Aug 22, 2011 9:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Fair enough
Well then in that world it’s possible Zakuani wouldn’t have been injured because Mauro may have started that game to give him a break, or Zakuani may have been in a different position.
The more interesting point I guess is: when Zakuani get’s healthy, who gets benched? Flaco? Mauro? Friberg?
Tough to say
but I’d say Friberg. Flaco should at least get a look in central midfield IMO.
My guess
Flaco starts getting more time at CM next year.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Aug 22, 2011 9:32 PM PDT up reply actions
Default 11 for 2012, barring new acquisitions
If I was a betting man and they all stay…
Fucito-Montero
Zakuani-Rosales-Fernandez
Alonso
{Insert DEF}-Parke-Scott-Riley
{Insert GK}
Tell me more about Insert Def
is he fast?
Nos Audietis
by sidereal on Aug 22, 2011 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
He's Mos Def's little-known cousin
You will hear us on Brougham, you will hear us on Occidental, you will hear us on King. Our yachts are all around you, there is no escape.
by 108Ultra on Aug 22, 2011 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Only difference is on CD
I’d put Hurtado ahead of Scott in CD.
by Abbott Smith on Aug 22, 2011 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions
CCCL Allocation Money
If I am not mistaken, the Sounders earned extra allocation money for this season by beating San Francisco. If this money isn’t used for another player acquisition prior to the roster finalization deadline, then it might make a nice bonus to Rosales as a reward for his performance.
As for Rosales as a DP next season, the question then becomes the overall salary cap structure and particularly how Flaco’s contract sits relative to the cap. Most accounts of Flaco’s current DP status have referred to his transfer fee. If that transfer fee is off the books for next season, then his status as a DP gets interesting. His contract is legitimately in the range of salaries that the Sounders could use allocation money to accomplish rather than a DP slot. Rosales could be made a DP in that scenario and the Sounders would still have an open DP slot to pursue a Tagoe or a young stud under the new DP rules. Can’t wait to see how AH handles this.
Knock-out stages
I believe they get more at the knock out stages…and this would be available for next year if I’m not mistaken….I wouldn’t want to use something that could be used next year for his bonus, although if we have no other use of the money for this year (like salary cap which doesn’t roll to the next season), it think that’d be the stuff to use.
use it or lose it
I guess what I’m trying to say is that if we’re in a situation where we have salary cap left, we might as well use it if it comes down to a use it or lose it situation.
For any one who thinks that Alvaro isn't a DP next year
You do realize that if the transfer fee cap hit disappeared after the season he was signed he wouldn’t be a DP this year?
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:), this is what sucks
I’ve asked many people and I’ve gotten many different answers on his transfer fee and how many years it’s broken down over. From some I’ve heard over his contract, from some I’ve heard 3 years, etc….Can you clear up how it’s supposed to be spread out and how long his contract would typically have been?
The team doesn't release details but upon signing it was said
“greater than 18 months” so the guess is 30 months, because 24 would end mid-season. That would mean ending next year.
I’m absolutely certain that the transfer fee was spread over the length of his deal. Because if it was assigned as a lump sum he wouldn’t be a DP right now.
There should be no confusion, because he is a DP now.
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Thanks Dave
That’s why I categorized my remarks concerning Flaco’s salary. It all depended on how his transfer fee was amortized.
by Abbott Smith on Aug 22, 2011 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions
There is confusion
The confusion comes as the league has been vague about rules forever. The confusion for me wasn’t around if it was assigned as a lump sum, but rather if it was assigned over the first 2 years, over the first 3 years, over the contract etc. The league hasn’t really made it clear to fans exactly what the rule is. The other confusion lies in his contract, because by not releasing the actual length of his contract, you end up with confusion in regards to when the end of his contract is, thus meaning how long he’ll be a DP.
Is Rosales really only making $42K...
Is there a chance that he is still being paid by the Mexican side that released him or that the sounders used allocation to buy down part of his real salary? Just asking
"Kia Kaha" -Live strong
There's a chance that allocation is being used
A fairly strong one.
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Sounder At Heart
Semantics
Isn’t allocation money the same thing as an increased salary cap? So in saying you’re using dollars to buy down a player’s salary cap hit aren’t you also just saying you have more money to spend on players? I’m confused as to why it’s always stated in that way instead of saying a team’s salary cap is higher with allocation dollars. That seems simpler to understand.
Or is there something more complicated about how allocation dollars work?
You are correct
Allocation does raise an individual team’s ability to spend within the cap. In essence raising that team’s actual salary cap for the season. But by setting a firm salary cap and then using DP rules and allocation dollar variations, the league creates flexibility while maintaining a single ultimate governing ceiling. The salary cap is fixed. All teams must adhere to it. Allocation money can be traded between teams and so it can be used as a bargaining chip along with things like international slots.
by Abbott Smith on Aug 22, 2011 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Cap dollars are also paid out of the league wide budget
where as allocation dollars are passed from the league to the team to the players
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Sounder At Heart
Thanks, So there is a realistic chance that he is making closer to $100K
Obviously he is still a bargain at a much greater number!!!
"Kia Kaha" -Live strong
From the FutbolMLS (Latino) point of view
“…Mauro Rosales, quien parece ser nominado al Latino de la Jornada cada semana…” (Mauro Rosales, who seems to be nominated Latino of the week every week)… Una y otra vez se ha destacado el impacto del suramericano en el cuadro esmeralda y ya no existen palabras para describir su increíble talento (Time and again the impact of the South American has stood out on the emerald team and there aren’t any more words to describe his incredible talent).
http://www.mlssoccer.com/es/news/article/2011/08/22/%C2%BFqui%C3%A9n-es-el-latino-de-la-jornada-23
Any possibility...
That in the offseason they try to make Rosales the 3rd DP? Part of me would love it, seeing as he’s been our best player for most of the season, and it would hopefully keep him in Rave Green longer, but then the other part of me really wants to see Seattle splash a bunch of cash and go get a really big name. And if it came down to having to decide if he’s more valuable than say Flacco or Montero, at this point in time, could you honestly say he isn’t at least on par with them? If you could only have 2 of those 3…which one would you leave out?
And I’ve done a little research to try and find this out, but haven’t come up with a number…is there any indication on how many years Rosales’ contract is for…can anyone shed light on that? Rosales has emerged as my favorite Sounder, so I may be a tad biased in how I feel towards him and his worth…but I’m really curious on how long to realistically expect him to stay with the club.
Rosales' contract
Given the circumstances of Rosales’ addition to the team, I would be very surprised if he is on anything other than a one year contract for just this year. Remember he was the victim of a Mexican club’s FO losing track of how many international players they had under contract and found himself on the outside looking in at the last moment. This created the unique circumstances that brought him to Seattle at the 11th hour of preseason. Given the whirlwind courtship between the Sounders and Rosales, both sides would likely have opted for a single year contract.
That said, I can certainly see both sides looking to continue the relationship into the next season. He fits and seems very happy to be here. He is a great addition to the clubhouse and his veteran stability will be even more important after Casey retires. The question will be how the Sounders FO balances all of the aspects of their salary cap and roster space. For example can the Sounders bundle their draft picks into a significant move in the draft and grab a potential starter there? Remember this team is going to have very little room for draftees to break into the lineup. May be a good year for Seattle to bundle most or all of their draft picks and try and trade up to get a single special player in the draft if the opportunity presents itself. A Generation Adidas player would also have the additional benefit of preferential salary cap treatment. Should be an interesting off season to say the least.
by Abbott Smith on Aug 23, 2011 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions
I'd say this is all spot on
in case you wanted my approval ;)
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Aug 23, 2011 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Draft
Really curious to see how Seattle handles the draft this year. The Sounders’ depth is really starting to shine and I could easily see them try to coax a deal with Montreal. Montreal will need depth and having extra picks in the draft would go a long way toward that end. I could also see Seattle bundling a player or two that makes it through the expansion draft to further sweeten an offer. Say add Seamon or Montano if Montreal doesn’t choose one of them. Both players are going to continue have difficulty cracking the lineup here.
by Abbott Smith on Aug 23, 2011 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
I think Mauro will stay
Keep in mind this belief is entirely based on wishful thinking. Based on more concrete observations around the league, I honestly don’t think we need to lock up a DP spot on him. He will get a raise from his $40,000 base, but there is no need to take him above $350,000. I love the guy and I’d spend all my personal nickles and dimes on him, however I don’t think he needs to be jumped up that high. I think we can drop Noonan or Jaqua, or both as together they make almost $300,000. Toss some of that cash his way.
My next thought, cold as it may be, is to drop O’Brien White. He looked great when he was healthy but there is a chance we may never see him healthy again. I don’t know what his prognosis is, and whether or not he’ll continue to have clotting issues. But I do know that we are spending $100,000 a year on a player who has been having injury issues his whole career. I don’t want to take that gamble again next season, unless it’s at a significant price drop.
So if we drop OB Duby Dubs, Noonan, and Jaqua we free up a total of $390,000. Toss two hundred Rosale’s way and he makes a salary of $240,000, which seems rather fair. We still have $190,000 left over to spend on either new players coming in. Maybe a back up left back, maybe a cheaper back up target forward. Or we could throw that cash into the quarter million vacated by Keller’s salary in our search for a new keeper.
All told we can definitely get by giving Mauro a hefty salary increase, while keeping open a third DP spot. Which we could use to chase some U-20 world cup star like Oscar.
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