12 May 2008
Trades That Could Shake Things Up
Posted by Drew Epperley under: Chicago Fire; Chivas USA; Colorado Rapids; Columbus Crew; DC United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; LA Galaxy; MLS; New York Red Bulls; Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Toronto FC .
The middle of May is an interesting time in Major League Soccer. The summer transfer window is just weeks away, teams are starting to break away from one another and some clubs are finding out what they did or didn’t do right in the offseason.
This time of the year is also a big time for clubs to start trading parts away to rework their lineups in hopes of getting back on track this season.
We’ve seen it in recent years and last year was a great example of it. On this day a year ago, the Columbus Crew and the Houston Dynamo were a part of a four-player swap. The key parts were Joseph Ngwenya being dealt from Columbus in exchange for Alejandro Moreno. The trade proved to be a big one for the Dynamo, and now the Crew are seeing the benefits of that trade.
I bring this all up because of a post Ives wrote today. He is calling for Chivas USA (who made a trade over the weekend) to trade for Chicago defender Wilman Conde and in the process send former Fire striker Ante Razov back to the Windy City.
A young defender who wants out of one place in exchange for a striker who will probably want out of LA since the going has gotten tough in recent weeks.
Honestly, its a trade that works for both sides and I’m glad someone brought it up today.
But what about some other clubs that are looking to deal.
Obviously DC United is close to shaking things up here.
I think we are about a month or so away (if things remain the same) from this club getting another makeover. Of course money has to make sense in these deals but I wouldn’t be shocked to see this club unload some talent that they brought in this year.
One move that I wouldn’t be shocked over is to see DC trade for another keeper here. Both Zach Wells and Jose Carvallo were the answer in goal this season. Wells continues to show he is nothing more than a backup here and we really haven’t seen enough out of Carvallo.
As far as trades go with DC, don’t look for any eastern conference club to link up with United in a deal. As tight as things are in the east it wouldn’t make sense for anyone to help DC out here. So look for a western side to play part as a deal maker with DC. Don’t be shocked to see DC try to swing deals with Chivas, Colorado or Real Salt Lake here.
Another eastern side that will more than likely be looking to deal, based on who is running their program, is Toronto FC.
The Reds are reportedly looking to land a top-flight scorer this summer for their designated player and in the process they will more than likely have to dump some contracts to make things work out in terms of meeting the salary cap.
One guy that is more than likely on his way out is Jeff Cunningham. Look for him to get moved around and who knows maybe even Toronto would deal with DC when it comes to Cunningham. However, I still see Cunningham back in the west before the season’s end. My bet is either Chivas, Colorado, or Houston will make a play for Cunningham. Sure he has aged some but he still has some goals left in him if the playing time and situation is right for him.
I also wouldn’t be shocked to see Toronto trade a defender away like Todd Dunivant this summer. The pieces they have put together on defense, along with some of the young rookies that they brought in this year spell trouble for a guy like Dunivant. I think the Reds would have no problem trading him away to about any club in the league right now. He’s a quality defender that many teams could use.
Out west there are a couple clubs already mentioned. Chivas, Colorado, Houston.
Though it could be fair game for any western side to made a deal right now with the way things are going in comparison to how they are stacking up against the east right now. But I see teams like San Jose going out and signing players this summer rather than trading for them. Same may be said for Dallas or LA.
The wheels are in motion here for plenty of deals to be worked out this season. But don’t be shocked if we see a big name player or two move in the next month or so.
Any deals out there that you want to see? Its a busy time for GMs and coaches in MLS, not only with games on the field but the action in the office is really heating up.
