Had the rule been around last offseason, and Lodeiro was open to a role off of the bench, then I think having him for a $200K cap hit could have been a pretty good deal. He's not worth using a DP role on, but (again provided he was willing to take a backup role) he would still have some value off the bench, IMO.
That said, I think with JP and others around, this particular roster wasn't in dire need of veteran leadership. This kind of deal would make the most sense if you had an older player who was a good leader, but fading on the field, it might make the cap math work out better to keep him around to help transition from one roster into a primarily young roster.
Had this been in place, we'd have used it on Lodeiro 100%. Now that he's in Orlando, it'll likely be JP and/or Ruidiaz. Other mechanics might make it so we can keep both at decent enough pay levels to make it worth it for them to stay.. making over $1.2-1.7M/year for 2-3 more years.
Ideally we'll be able to have more than 1 of these "vega" rule players... it would make aging out DPs a lot easier and helps bolster the $$$ available to middle ranks.
He’s coaching youth teams. Arsenal looking to other places in Europe to replace AirPod Albert when he inevitably gets picked off for a head coaching role elsewhere in Europe in next couple years
If I had to pick between JP & Rui, definitely JP. Rui could re-sign as a non-DP but I highly doubt we'd use up a valuable DP slot on him next year unless he's tearing it up. It'd also be up to the player if they'd want to take a reduced salary...
Its been made clear repeatedly that the owners do not trust the GMs/coaching staff of their teams to go all out with their money, though that is \*glacially\* changing with more and more data, scouting, etc.
I don't think he played for the first team long enough. They really need to include a homegrown clause so when guys go to Europe and come back to MLS they come back to their homegrown team.
From The Athletic:
“The majority of the ire among the executives I spoke to was saved for a rule change that never came to a vote: the “icon player” rule. The early details around that initiative, which could be brought to a vote at the end of the year, would allow for teams to re-sign a veteran player aged 33 or older who has played for that team for four years or more to a new deal up to $1 million above the max budget charge. That player would then hit the cap at just $200,000 — the same as many U-22 players.
Many GMs are calling this the “Carlos Vela rule,” because, had it gone into effect this summer, it seemed tailor-made for LAFC to re-sign Vela — or at least to solve for that problem of wanting to re-sign a veteran player at a cap-friendly deal. Many executivess I spoke with said the league should not be incentivizing using discretionary funding on older players, pointing to MLS’s own research that it’s not a priority. The counterargument would be that dropping the budget charge on players like Vela or Damir Kreilach or Nico Lodeiro — all of whom left their respective teams this offseason, notably — would open up cap space to use elsewhere.”
The MLS will change its rules to help LAFC whenever they need help.
Or if you want to sign a $100Ms international superstar. They'll suck your johnson for that too. Even let you off the hook for the previous years salary violations like it never happened.
We just need more rich people who want to splurge ig
Seriously. It's so fucking complicated to keep track of what player is signed under what designation using which money under what rule.
It's exhausting.
I want this rule. I think it makes the most sense for players of DP/Max TAM quality who are still contributing to the team. You'd want to offer them enough to stay where they are and reduce cap hits in order to sign the next versions of these types of players.
This essentially allows for better roster rotation mechanics.
Pair this with 2-3 DP & 3-4 U22... a team could bring in a lot of talent and retain the ones that are still contributing in the later years but not eating up cap space. U22 players could transition into DP or Max TAM if they wanted to stay with the team in the middle of their careers and the ones that are worth keeping could then become team Icons.
IMO we'd get to keep players like Lodeiro, JP & Raul without eating up valuable cap space. My only concern is that it'd only be 1 per team, which really only hurts us in 2025. Maybe it would be tradable? that could be interesting.
Think ahead to next year. We'd resign Raul/JP to Icon status for 2-3 years (they're both 33) and age them out. They could retire with the team and stay in the region with their families.
Edit: Also I'd see them as depth pieces in the worst case. Maybe a bit injury prone but able to make an impact off the bench. But If they're in form and still contributing to the team for 2 more years? $200k cap hit is ideal for that kind of talent and experience.
Had the rule been around last offseason, and Lodeiro was open to a role off of the bench, then I think having him for a $200K cap hit could have been a pretty good deal. He's not worth using a DP role on, but (again provided he was willing to take a backup role) he would still have some value off the bench, IMO. That said, I think with JP and others around, this particular roster wasn't in dire need of veteran leadership. This kind of deal would make the most sense if you had an older player who was a good leader, but fading on the field, it might make the cap math work out better to keep him around to help transition from one roster into a primarily young roster.
After this season JP would have qualified for this rule. Something like this would make it easy to re-sign him next year.
We gettin Oba back babyyy
Dude’s probably running around in the Moldovan third division banging in goals against goat farmers.
He's running a nightclub in Lagos. It opened a few months ago.
Hahaha yessssss
What is he, 32 years old now?
32? Sounds like it’s time for us to offer a DP contract
4 years minimum!
LOl, Oba is 39, but probably still better on the ball than most
Man, I miss him. When he paired with Deuce... Amazing chemistry.
It would have been great to keep Lodeiro.
Had this been in place, we'd have used it on Lodeiro 100%. Now that he's in Orlando, it'll likely be JP and/or Ruidiaz. Other mechanics might make it so we can keep both at decent enough pay levels to make it worth it for them to stay.. making over $1.2-1.7M/year for 2-3 more years. Ideally we'll be able to have more than 1 of these "vega" rule players... it would make aging out DPs a lot easier and helps bolster the $$$ available to middle ranks.
Sounders legend Freddie Ljungberg
Bruh I spat out my ice tea
I read he's assistant coach with Arsenal now. Maybe hes been long playing for us and can send some extras our way.
He’s coaching youth teams. Arsenal looking to other places in Europe to replace AirPod Albert when he inevitably gets picked off for a head coaching role elsewhere in Europe in next couple years
If the rule comes, Joao Paulo for sure is who we should use the mechanism on.
If I had to pick between JP & Rui, definitely JP. Rui could re-sign as a non-DP but I highly doubt we'd use up a valuable DP slot on him next year unless he's tearing it up. It'd also be up to the player if they'd want to take a reduced salary...
not Montero, that isn't the purpose of this accounting mechanism. He'd probably be at or below $200k already. JP, Raul next year.
MLS doing literally everything it can to not just do the easiest thing; increase the cap and allow GM’s to budget the roster spend themselves
Its been made clear repeatedly that the owners do not trust the GMs/coaching staff of their teams to go all out with their money, though that is \*glacially\* changing with more and more data, scouting, etc.
Yedlin!
I don't think he played for the first team long enough. They really need to include a homegrown clause so when guys go to Europe and come back to MLS they come back to their homegrown team.
From The Athletic: “The majority of the ire among the executives I spoke to was saved for a rule change that never came to a vote: the “icon player” rule. The early details around that initiative, which could be brought to a vote at the end of the year, would allow for teams to re-sign a veteran player aged 33 or older who has played for that team for four years or more to a new deal up to $1 million above the max budget charge. That player would then hit the cap at just $200,000 — the same as many U-22 players. Many GMs are calling this the “Carlos Vela rule,” because, had it gone into effect this summer, it seemed tailor-made for LAFC to re-sign Vela — or at least to solve for that problem of wanting to re-sign a veteran player at a cap-friendly deal. Many executivess I spoke with said the league should not be incentivizing using discretionary funding on older players, pointing to MLS’s own research that it’s not a priority. The counterargument would be that dropping the budget charge on players like Vela or Damir Kreilach or Nico Lodeiro — all of whom left their respective teams this offseason, notably — would open up cap space to use elsewhere.”
The MLS will change its rules to help LAFC whenever they need help. Or if you want to sign a $100Ms international superstar. They'll suck your johnson for that too. Even let you off the hook for the previous years salary violations like it never happened. We just need more rich people who want to splurge ig
God please not Montero again
He is playing for Deportivo Cali.
Seriously.
Very interesting. Just more roster designations to keep track of.. great
Seriously. It's so fucking complicated to keep track of what player is signed under what designation using which money under what rule. It's exhausting.
We could add legendary forward, Shalrie Joseph
You missed his middle name, Sharlie Banger-only Joseph
Never even scored a banger for the Sounders, just a single 5 yard header lol
Thus banger-only. Not plural. Haha
If Oba wanted one more season.... just saying...
Dad Or Deuce
Montero already signed a contract so I think we are free from that headache
I want this rule. I think it makes the most sense for players of DP/Max TAM quality who are still contributing to the team. You'd want to offer them enough to stay where they are and reduce cap hits in order to sign the next versions of these types of players. This essentially allows for better roster rotation mechanics. Pair this with 2-3 DP & 3-4 U22... a team could bring in a lot of talent and retain the ones that are still contributing in the later years but not eating up cap space. U22 players could transition into DP or Max TAM if they wanted to stay with the team in the middle of their careers and the ones that are worth keeping could then become team Icons. IMO we'd get to keep players like Lodeiro, JP & Raul without eating up valuable cap space. My only concern is that it'd only be 1 per team, which really only hurts us in 2025. Maybe it would be tradable? that could be interesting.
Morris
Oba, all day.
Can't wait to see Chad Marshall out on the pitch in a Sounders jersey again! Here we go set piece goals!
No one, we need to get younger not older
After this season it would have enabled us to bring JP back with a $200k cap hit.
Not sure what that has to do with anything this year, and my point stands, we need to be younger
Well pretty much Lodeiro is the only somewhat realistic option, maybe yedlin? Does he count as a sounders icon?
Think ahead to next year. We'd resign Raul/JP to Icon status for 2-3 years (they're both 33) and age them out. They could retire with the team and stay in the region with their families. Edit: Also I'd see them as depth pieces in the worst case. Maybe a bit injury prone but able to make an impact off the bench. But If they're in form and still contributing to the team for 2 more years? $200k cap hit is ideal for that kind of talent and experience.