Andreas Maxso ($1.4M) - As already announced Maxso won't be back next season. That's the right call. We probably should have sold him last offseason if there was a real offer from the Middle East. He was a solid but unspectacular MLS center back that never lived up to his original DP status or his highest paid TAM player on the team status after he was bought down.
Noah Cobb ($109K) - Burgundy Wave has reported the price to make his loan permanent is $500K in GAM. Do it. There's enough there to be worth taking that shot on him. I don't expect him to be the starter next season but the first option off the bench or possibly the 3rd starter in a 3-man back line.
Calvin Harris ($152K) - One of only two players on the roster that the club has no option on for 2026. During the press conference Smith suggested multiple free agents would be exploring other options so I have to assume Harris is looking. I'd be fine if we threw $300K or so at him to bring him back but I'm also ok if he walks. None of our wingers impressed this year.
Oli Larraz ($131K) - The other free agent on the roster. We know he's looking in Europe. I like Oli as a good backup on the bench and I thought he was the better of the three headed Atencio/Ronan/Larraz trio in the middle, but none of them really earned a starting role. I'd like to see us give him $300-$400K to be that bench option but I can't blame him if he finds a spot in Europe and takes his shot.
Rafael Santos ($401K) - Pick up his 2026 option. He'll be in a contract year next season, make it clear the LB spot is his to win, and a new contract is available if he does.
Daouda Amadou ($81K) - No idea. We barely saw anything of him. But at that price picking up his 2026 option won't hurt us.
Sam Bassett ($81K) - Yeah, give the homegrown another year by picking up his option, if for no other reason than to keep Cole happy.
Nico Hansen ($81K) - Picking up his option is the easiest call on this list. We have an option for 2027 too, so he can take 2026 to clearly win the backup job and see if he has potential to take over for Steffen in the future.
Jackson Travis ($107K) - I don't think there's a wrong decision here. If you think there's real potential, pick up the option and bring him back. If you think that Santos and Vines are going to hold down LB for the next 2-3 seasons then cut him loose.
Darren Yapi ($115K) - Yes, easy option decision. I don't think he's a great starter in a 1-striker system, but as an option off the bench or playing off Navarro as a second striker he's got real value.
Nate Jones ($81K) - Spent all year on loan so nobody saw him. Reports are the coaches were happy with what he did in Vegas. As a fellow Husky I have to support picking up his option. :D
Eleven decisions to make. Cobb, Santos, Hansen, and Yapi should be easy decisions. Maxso was an easy decision to let walk. Amadou, Bassett, Travis, and Jones are low-risk decisions regardless of how they go. The two tricky ones will be Harris and Larraz if they decide they want to stay.
There are seven players entering the last guaranteed year on their contracts, which makes them the easiest to buyout in the offseason if we want to. Holding, Steffen, Murphy, Ronan, Fadal, Frederick, and Stewart-Baynes. I think Steffen and Holding are the only two that are clearly in the 2026 plans. Murphy and Ronan are making $400-$500K so buying them out is a bit more expensive, I'd expect them both to be back unless they get a better offer elsewhere and we can reduce that buyout. Fadal, Frederick, and KSB would be easier to cut if we need the roster slot.
Everyone else has at least two years left and we should expect to be part of the 2026 roster unless an offer comes in for them. That does mean we need to get more out of the likes of Atencio, Cannon, and Vines to justify the roster and salary cap they're taking up.
The last major decision won't be until summer, but the Alexis Manyoma loan is up on July 21st and Burgundy Wave has reported its a $2M purchase option on him. While he looked good in his limited minutes at the end of the season there wasn't enough there to justify that yet. We'll need to see a lot more in the early months of 2026.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment