Mauro Rosales Extension Nearly Finalized, Finally Some Positive Sounders News

The last few weeks have been pretty brutal for Seattle Sounders fans. Finally, it appears as if some good news is on the way. Multiple sources have confirmed that Mauro Rosales' extension has essentially been finalized and that it could be announced very soon. The contract is expected to pay Rosales somewhere in the neighborhood of Alvaro Fernandez and Fredy Montero, but it is unclear whether or not he will count as a Designated Player.

According to documentation from the MLS Players Union, Fernandez makes $300,000 a year in base salary and Montero makes $500,000. Complicating matters is the fact that the Sounders paid significant transfer fees for both players and the widely held belief that the union's numbers are considerably less than 100 percent accurate.

Regardless of how much Rosales will be paid, it's looking increasingly unlikely that the Sounders would be able to fit another DP under the salary cap. While there will undoubtedly be some new faces this year, it's far more likely to be players like goalkeeper Michael Gspurning or fullback Heiner Mora, both of whom have been linked to the Sounders.

Still, re-signing Rosales might be the most important move the Sounders had to make this offseason. The team was clearly better with him on the field and, by just about all accounts, he was a major force in the locker room in acting as a cultural bridge on a team that is diverse as any in MLS.