Right, we've got a couple departures to discuss, haven't we? This interesting off-season is only getting more interesting by the day, and now we've got to say goodbye to our friend Jean Alexandre, as he's gone off to San Jose in exchange for a draft pick.
We'd had Jean Alexandre for a solid three years now, and during that time, we've seen him grow (thankfully not literally — he would crush everyone if he got much larger!) into a footballer who is willing to fight constantly for his side.
And that's been the best thing about having him: He's always, always, always giving everything he's got for the side. I didn't always love that we had to play him up front as a sort-of target man, and I confess, I was sometimes frustrated with him as a player. Here's the thing, though: I was never frustrated because he wasn't trying.
Could he still make it in the midfield? Probably. He's got a few things to sort out — he makes some dangerous tackles, for one — and he'll need to work on a bit of his stamina, I think. San Jose are getting a Kreis-trained player for a draft pick, though, and that's pretty damn good.
This also means that we're racking up the draft picks, having also obtained one for Robbie Russell. Now, we could easily trade those away in exchange for players that are ready, but I wouldn't be surprised if we picked up a few fresh-out-of-college players in the draft. But, I suppose, that's sort of stating the obvious.
So, where do we go from here? We've lost three players who saw quality time on the pitch and one reserve goalkeeper, all of whom will need to be replaced. I suspect we're not close to seeing the end of the departures, either. On the slate for the Re-Entry Draft are Andy Williams, Arturo Alvarez, Blake Wagner, Nelson Gonzalez, and Rauwshan McKenzie — and to be honest, I'd be surprised if we kept more than one or perhaps two of those players.
Andy Williams, of course, is the player I'd most like for us to keep — an RSL original, a hard worker, and a guy who has done it before: things we certainly need in a player. The others? Well, I'd hate to lose Nelson Gonzalez, as he's showed promise, but I'm not at all certain he'll stay on. We'll see, I suppose, on his front. I don't suspect anybody will take him at this point, but who knows?
I also don't know that we'll see Arturo Alvarez depart in the first round of picks, but rather in the second round, when contracts can be renegotiated rather than retained at the same salary. I'd like to see him go to a side that can really use him in their system, as he didn't get that chance here particularly.
Blake Wagner we saw little of, and he's certainly not on a big money salary, so don't expect to see him stay — if the club wanted to re-up his contract, they surely would have already. The same applies to Rauwshan McKenzie. I'd certainly welcome either or both back, but I'd be surprised if both did return.
So, this leaves us needing a slew of players — midfielders, mostly. Broken down, we've lost and could lose:
• 1 goalkeeper
• 1–3 defenders
• 3–6 midfielders
And if you'd like to count Jean and Arturo as forwards, subtract those numbers from the midfielders count.
At any rate, it'll be a big off-season for us, and I doubt very much that the departures are over yet.
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