Picks, Trades, and Injuries

Another busy day out in Commerce City.  Two notes, then onto the Supplemental Draft.

• Edson Buddle left the U.S. Nats camp with an injury to his right knee.  The same knee he's had issues with in the past.  No word on the severity of the injury.
• The Rapids completed the long rumored trade of Eric Avila's rights to Chivas USA for former-Rapid Nick LaBrocca's rights.  Colorado is currently working on a new contract with LaBrocca.

Now onto the Supplemental Draft.  The Rapids had two 2nd Round picks, a 3rd Round pick, and a 4th Round pick.  With the 4 picks they got (in order):

• Jamaican defender Brenton Griffiths out of the University of South Florida.  He's also played for the Jamaican U-17 and U-20 teams.  He would take up an international spot.
• Brazilian forward Stefano Souza Pinho from Fluminense and later loaned out to Guaratingueta.  He would also require an international spot.
• Nigerian midfielder Machael David from UC Santa Barbara.  He has American citizenship, having moved to Tacoma when he was 17 (a fellow Puget Sounder!).
• Brazilian defender Marcello Castro from Sacred Heart University.  He would require an international spot.

None of these players have contracts yet, though its expected that Pinho's contract is already negotiated as part of his invite as an international player to the combine and draft.  If he makes the team signing him to a contract will just be a formality.  Right now we have 9 internationals in camp and 8 international spots.  6 of those internationals are already under contract, so the 3 drafted today are fighting for two spots at best, and that's assuming nobody else is signed.  Overall we have 37 players in camp for 30 spots.  Only 24 of them are signed though, leaving 13 players competing for 6 slots.

Updated camp roster:

Goalkeepers:
Steward Ceus
Matt Pickens
Joel Helmick - Unsigned trialist
Clint Irwin - Unsigned trialist
Jim Mauer - Unsigned trialist

Defenders:
Diego Calderon - International
Marcello Castro - Unsigned draftee, International
Brenton Griffiths - Unsigned draftee, International
Kory Kindle - Unsigned draftee
Chris Klute (Atlanta loan through late-Sept)
Drew Moor
Anthony Wallace
Marvell Wynne
Luke Vercollone - Unsigned trialist

Midfielders:
Davy Armstrong - Homegrown Player
Tony Cascio
Jaime Castrillon - International
Machael David - Unsigned draftee
Kevin Harbottle - International
Nick LaBrocca - Unsigned but rights traded for
Pablo Mastroeni
Brian Mullan
Shane O'Neill - Homegrown Player
Dillon Powers
Martin Rivero (Rosario Central loan through 2013) - International
Dillon Serna - Homegrown Player
Nathan Sturgis
Hendry Thomas - International
Carlos Diaz - Unsigned trialist
Jamie Smith - Unsigned trialist

Forwards:
Andre Akpan
Deshorn Brown - Generation Adidas, International
Edson Buddle
Atiba Harris
Kamani Hill
Stefano Souza Pinho - Unsigned draftee, International
Cesar Romero - Unsigned trialist

Busy Times In Commerce City

Lots of news so lets get to it.

First and foremost, DSG Park will host the first home World Cup Qualifier for the U.S. this year.  USA - Costa Rica on March 22nd.  Ticket details are yet to be announced but they have said that Rapids full-season ticket holders will get a pre-sale before they're available to the general public.  Great job by the Rapids FO to land this game!

Now if anyone is reading this in Colorado and isn't planning on going to the game, I've got two tickets to the Great Big Sea concert at the Boulder Theater on March 22nd for sale that I'd love to move ASAP!

Secondly, big trade from the Rapids today, sending Ginger Ninja Jeff Larentowicz and the 30th pick in the draft to Chicago for the 11th pick tomorrow, an international spot next year, and allocation money (reportedly $75K).  The 30th pick was the one we got in trade from Chicago for Wells Thompson, so its essentially Larentowicz and Thompson for the 11th pick, allocation money, and an international spot.

Good, not great, trade from the Rapids FO.  The rumor of Larentowicz being on the trading block has been out there for a while.  He's coming off a less-than-stellar season and it was fairly obvious he didn't fit in the upcoming plans.  That left Colorado trading from a point of weakness.  That said, getting the 11th pick when we already have the 6th pick should get us 2 players that should contribute almost immediately.  Allocation money is always helpful, and hopefully we use the international slot.

Thirdly, that trade looks better if the trade Ives reported is accurate, we send the rights to Eric Avila (acquired in the Re-Entry Draft) to Chivas USA in return for the rights to Nick LaBrocca.  LaBrocca played here from 2005-2009, being traded to Toronto the day before the 2010 season started for Marvell Wynne.  One of our better trades.  He's a good box-to-box midfielder that might fit well between Martin Rivero and Hendry Thomas.  Nick was an All-Star for Chivas in 2011.  If we really got him for just the rights to Avila, that's a steal.  He may or may not be currently under contract, but the Rapids have shown in the past that when they trade for an out-of-contract player they make sure they can sign him so I'm not worried about getting him.

So going into the draft tomorrow, here's our current roster.  Right now we have picks 6, 11, and 25 in the 38 pick/2 round draft.  I'll update tomorrow as I'm able to, with a full recap tomorrow night.


Goalkeepers:
Steward Ceus
Matt Pickens

Defenders:
Diego Calderon
Chris Klute (on loan from Atlanta through late-Sept)
Drew Moor
Anthony Wallace
Marvell Wynne

Midfielders:
Davy Armstrong
Eric Avila - Unsigned
Tony Cascio
Jaime Castrillon
Pablo Mastroeni
Brian Mullan
Shane O'Neill
Martin Rivero (on loan from Rosario Central through 2013)
Nathan Sturgis
Hendry Thomas

Forwards:
Andre Akpan
Edson Buddle
Atiba Harris
Kamani Hill

3 quick player moves

Rapids re-sign Marvell Wynne.  Yay!

Rapids select Eric Avila in the Re-Entry Draft.  Rivero backup?

Rapids trade allocation money and supplemental draft pick to LA for Edson Buddle.  Um, interesting.

More later tonight or tomorrow (depending on how I feel after seeing The Hobbit.)

Oh, Casey was selected by Philly and Freeman by New England in the Re-Entry Draft.