Rapids Sign Juan Ramirez As Second Designated Player

Long rumored but finally announced tonight.  Juan Ramirez has joined the Rapids as their second Designated Player, taking up a young DP slot.  Reports are he's already in tucson with the team and will be available for tomorrow's scrimmage with the Revs (5:30pm MST, coloradorapids.com).  Ramirez is a 21 year old attacking left winger who joins from Argentinos Juniors.  As a 'young DP" he'll only count $200K against the cap and if the Rapids sign a third DP (like Doyle) they won't have to purchase a third slot as you don't need it if you have a young DP.

This is a big risk big reward move by Colorado.  If the rumored $2 million purchase price is accurate that's a lot of money for a team like the Rapids to spend on a young, unknown (to fans) quantity.  This isn't a signing that's going to drive ticket sales, this is a signing to (hopefully) drive wins and that will drive ticket sales.

With this signing the Rapids are now at 24 signed players with 6 of 8 international spots filled.  We still don't know, due to the continuing CBA negotiations, what the roster limit will be this season.  It was 30 last year but conventional wisdom is that will drop with provisions for players under contract but playing with USL teams to not count against the total.  I've changed the unsigned section of the camp roster to reflect players who don't appear on the Desert Diamond Cup roster lists.  That may mean the Rapids have passed on them or it may mean that they just didn't plan to feature them (more likely the former than the latter).

Updated camp roster:

(* = international):

Goalkeepers:
John Berner
Clint Irwin
Zac MacMath

Defenders:
Marc Burch
Bobby Burling
Michael Harrington
Drew Moor
John Neeskens
Shane O'Neill
Axel Sjoberg*

Midfielders:
Sam Cronin
Marlon Hairston
Nick LaBrocca
Lucas Pittinari*
Dillon Powers
Juan Ramirez*
Marcelo Sarvas
Dillon Serna
Jared Watts

Forwards:
Deshorn Brown*
Caleb Calvert
Charles Eloundou* (not yet in camp, visa issues)
Vicente Sanchez
Gabriel Torres*

Unsigned but in AZ or negotiating:
D Francisco Flores* (trialist)
D Joseph Greenspan (draftee, on Naval duty through 2017 probably, was in Vegas)
D Wes Knight (trialist)
D Ben Newnam (trialist)
D Grant Van de Casteele
M Carlos Alvarez
M Oscar Montoya (trialist)
F Dominique Badji* (draftee)
F Kevin Doyle* (negotiating)

Unsigned and not in AZ:

GK Quentin Westberg
D Matt Jeffrey (draftee, not in camp)
D Patrick Slogic (Charlotte player)
M Andrew Ribiero (Charlotte player)
F Billy Schuler