Rapids Sign LaBrocca, Alvarez, Give Burch New Contract

Today the Rapids made the LaBrocca re-signing official and also announced the re-signing of Carlos Alvarez.  I like the Alvarez re-signing, though with how crowded our midfield is getting I wonder if he's going to get any time.  Marc Burch, who was under contract, also got a new contract.  With those moves that puts us at a total of 25 signed players for 2015, with 6 of 8 international spots filled.  We're still waiting on the new CBA to find out what the new roster rules will be and how the usL affiliation will play into it.

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:
Carlos Alvarez
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 James Riley
D Grant Van de Casteele
M Benji Joya
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

Rapids Acquire Carlos Alvarez

Yesterday the Rapids traded Nathan Sturgis to Chivas USA for midfielder Carlos Alvarez.  Alvarez is an attacking midfielder who was the 2nd choice in the 2013 Superdraft (taken before Brown at 6 and Powers at 11).  He's played in 40 of Chivas USA's 49 games since being drafted  with 2 goals and 3 assists in 2013.

I like this trade for Colorado.  Like I said earlier in the week Sturgis is a solid role player for a MLS team but nothing more for the Rapids.  I'm a little surprised we picked up another young midfielder, but we seem to be having good luck with our youth movement so hopefully Alvarez will benefit from that.  The Rapids also save somewhere between 15K and 40K in salary with the move.