Rapids Get Their DP #9

It took an additional 2 months but the Rapids have signed the DP #9 we've been looking for.  They did it by trading with Columbus for U.S. National Team striker Gyasi Zardes.  This has been a long-suggested rumor since Zardes is apparently on the outs with Crew head coach Caleb Porter, and has been coming off the bench as a late game sub, while the need for a #9 in Colorado was obvious to many (though Rubio's play early this season has taken the edge off of that a bit).

The deal is Zardes and his full remaining salary to Colorado for $300K of GAM, plus up to $1.1M more through performance incentives.  The Denver Post has reported that for 2022 those incentives are $100K for making the World Cup roster, $150K for scoring 12 non-PK goals but only if the Rapids make the playoffs, and $100K for winning the league Golden Boot.  Zardes is out of contract at the end of the season, so the other $750K in incentives are tied to his re-signing and his performance in 2023.  To get the full amount Zardes would have to re-sign for 3 more years and hit performance metrics next season, if he doesn't re-sign Columbus will get nothing more than what he hits in 2022.

Zardes will retain his DP status in the move to Colorado, so this means KSE must have decided to pay out some money finally.  This will cost them around $1M in salary (trying to track down an exact salary number, its between $1.4 and $1.7M this year).  As a free agent at the end of the year this is a low risk high potential move.  If he crashes and burns KSE will be out that $1M in DP money and we'll be out $300K in GAM, but we can cut him free at the end of the season.  If he succeeds then we pay more in GAM but we get more, and we can talk about re-signing him.  At 30 years old he's on the tail end of the prime of his career, but he's by no means over the hill.

Long-term this isn't the #9 move I was hoping for, but as a stopgap for 2022 and maybe into 2023-24 its fine.  With our service he should be able to get a number of goals and gives us a second type of attack for teams to defend.  Zardes is much more of a poacher than Rubio. more in the Conor Casey mold.  It also allows us to shift to a 5-3-2 formation if our wingers continue to struggle.

One interesting note is that Zardes played in the Open Cup for the Crew earlier this week, which means he's cup-tied and can't play for us in our Open Cup match on May 11th.  I didn't get a chance to post about the draw yesterday, but we will be going to Minnesota United for our first game.  We were in a group with Minnesota, Union Omaha, and Northern Colorado Hailstorm, who knocked off FSL in Sandy on Wednesday night.  I was really hoping to get an all Colorado matchup but luck was not with us.

The other part of this move for Zardes is freeing up a spot on the roster.  Joseph Samelson has looked at the roster and from what he can tell, we don't have an open roster spot for Zardes.  Now MLS roster machinations can be complex, and there may be some way for the Rapids to stash an additional player at Rapids 2, or on loan to the USL, or on the injury list or something, so take that with a grain of salt.  The rumors are the Rapids want to have him available for Charlotte tomorrow night, but that would seem to require another roster move to allow it.

Regardless of if its necessary or not, I can't see the Rapids keeping all of Zardes, Rubio, Barrios, Max, Acosta, Lewis, and Shinyashiki.  That's too many players for not enough minutes in a roster capped league.  I'm guessing that before the window closes on May 4th that at least one of Lewis or Shinyashiki will be traded.  There were even reports today that there's been interested in Shinyashiki from multiple teams, but the Rapids have been a firm no on trading him.  I'm thinking today's move may change that.