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Red Bulls secure LeToux’s MLS rights with Bona Fide offer (UPDATED)

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By IVES GALARCEP

The New York Red Bulls have too many forwards on their roster at the moment, which made it seem unlikely that the team would have an interest in bringing back seldom-used French forward Sebastien LeToux. Apparently that hasn’t stopped the Red Bulls from offering LeToux to a new contract.

The Red Bulls have offered LeToux a new deal, sources with knowledge of the deal told SBI on Thursday. The move doesn’t mean LeToux will be wearing a Red Bull uniform in 2013. According to sources, the Red Bulls are planning to trade LeToux if and when he agrees to the offer, with his destination still yet to be identified.

SBI has confirmed that New York made LeToux the Bona Fide offer necessary to retain his rights within MLS. Sources tell SBI that LeToux has already signed the offer, but LeToux’s agent, Stefani Miglioranzi, has told SBI that, while New York has made a Bona Fide offer to LeToux, no agreement has been reached yet between LeToux and the Red Bulls yet.

The Philadelphia Union are believed to be very interested in bringing back LeToux, the team’s leading scorer in its first two seasons, but sources tell SBI that there is no deal in place between the Union and Red Bulls at the moment. That said, Philadelphia still seems like the most likely destination for LeToux, who has made no secret of how much he enjoyed playing for the Union.

The likelihood of a LeToux trade could allow the Red Bulls to position themselves to hold on to Kenny Cooper, depending on what the team can acquire for his services. Allocation money would help help the team pay off part of Cooper’s big 2013 salary cap number. The Red Bulls are listening to offers for Cooper, but are still not close to making a deal.

The Red Bulls acquired LeToux from Vancouver in exchange for Dane Richards and allocation money last summer. LeToux played 14 regular season games for New York, scoring one goal and added one assist.

There are no details yet on the offer made to LeToux, but it is believed to be in the $250,000 a year range.

Red Bulls officials would not comment on the move when contacted by SBI.

What do you think of this development? Where would you like to see LeToux wind up? What do you think is a fair trade offer for LeToux’s services? Think a return to Philadelphia is inevitable?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Seriously though MLS should have a “real” free agency, these drafts are confusing for people who don’t follow closely. What are they afraid of? Top players will just decide to negotiate contracts with the most succesful teams.

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  2. Because of Therry Henry and the importance of communication all NYRB strikers have to speak French, no exceptions…..so who is NY going to get rid of, Cooper or LeToux? Wait a minute…..

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  3. I do not understand how they make all these big roster moves with no coach, unless they are hiring Petke or have a coach already determined to step in a few weeks. It makes it difficult for a manager to implement his own style and character on the team without the players he feels will fit in, but then again who knows how things will turn out for the Red Bulls.

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  4. Seattle should try to bring him back. Alonso for McCarty and LeToux. I think NY would be dumb to do it, but Alonso is highly (over) rated, so knowing NY’s history, they would probably do the trade.

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  5. LeToux for Adu.

    Can you imagine Adu and Espindola diming passes to Cooper and Henry? That’s just not even fair. They are going to score SO many goals.

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    • Dude you need to stop man…..If this happened I’d lose my Job because I’d be trying to watch each and every game / highlight…it would be ridiculous, and supplying Henry and Cooper too!! Damn….

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      • heh heh heh, yup…

        Listen, if there is anyone in MLS (or worldly-wise) who wants Adu, please, PLEASE, make an offer – any offer – and he’s yours. I’ll take a six-pack and a ficus tree for him.

  6. Sigh, sometimes I just don’t understand the MLS player transfer rules. Why would LeToux re-sign with NY just so they can benefit by trading him (instead of just losing him). What’s in it for LeToux?

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    • If he has decided to stay in MLS, then any team that signs him has to pay NYRB for his rights anyway. So, by doing this, he negotiates his contract without having to go through “re-entry” drafts, then being forced to wait for the teams to agree on proper compensation for his rights.

      That’s my basic understanding.

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    • It goes like this. If the old team either takes your option or makes a bona fide offer, before the draft, your rights stay put, and you do not enter the re-entry draft. This is not Seb’s choice likely, it would be NYRB exercising “dibs.”

      Now, NY may be signing Seb for a sign and trade to Philly at the bona fide offer salary level, but that is a separate step. It’s basically, once they make the bona fide offer, if you want to stay in MLS, it’s with the old team. They can then turn around and trade you, or otherwise handle you as they would a roster player with a guaranteed deal.

      If the intent is to clear cap space for Cooper, you would not want Adu in return. LeToux is $140K, Cooper is $260K, and Adu is $400K. Adu + and Seb – would net out an added Cooper salary on top of Cooper ($400K – $140K). You would then have to likely get rid of Cooper on top of Seb and in exchange be left with Adu. That’s a sucker’s deal IMO.

      What makes more sense, if you want Cooper, is you trade Seb for an allocation back to Philly. LeToux’s $140K + an allocation might be in the neighborhood of Cooper’s $260K salary. Cooper is now paid for, you don’t assume Adu’s salary, and you shed Seb.

      Personally, I think this is all silliness because Marquez costs a DP cap spot and $4.6 million. That would pay for Cooper and then some. But they may be trying to rope off that money for Kaka or someone else. But to me Cooper and Seb are talents you might want around, while Marquez is the anvil attached to your ankle.

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  7. The most interesting part of this article to me was that LeToux’s agent is Stefani Miglioranizi. I’d wondered what happened to him.

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  8. If NYRB trade La Troux for Adu – they win the Cup. Adu’s biggest challenge was playing with forwards who can’t put it away.

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  9. whatever team he goes to he needs to be top 1-2 “go to” player. that’s when he’s been more successful. he’s not really a role player. i could be wrong but that’s how i have seen his travels in past 2 years. too bad noquack messed/broke up a decent philly team.

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    • not sure if that’s an accurate nickname…

      maybe, “yesquack”. doesn’t have the similar phonetics thing going on, but definitely more accurate.

      🙂

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  10. Well either he goes or Cooper goes. Either way, no more LeCoop. This might be a very sly way of keeping Cooper or maybe new coach has a vision for a system where Le2 will fit better. This will be interesting how this pans out.

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  11. What about Le Toux to SKC? His poaching and wing play could fit well with their needs next season. And they’ve got plenty of money to spend.

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  12. Wonder if Dallas is interested. They need a guy who can play of Perez hold up play, and should have cap room to make such a move. 250k for a proven scorer seems reasonsable to me.

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    • Makes sense. Clearly Dallas has a need for a proven 2nd forward, and I’m not sure they can expect to do any better than this for the money in the international market this winter.

      Given a choice I’m sure FCD fans would prefer finding a way to get Kenny Cooper back to Dallas, but LeToux at 1/2 the price seems like a better value for what they need and filling out a complete roster under the salary cap.

      I wonder what the asking price is though… if significant allocation money is involved in the deal that may offset some of the contract value vs. going the international route.

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  13. I really really hope the Union don’t make this move. It would be a vertical move on the field. I won’t take away what he has done for us, but he is not the kind of player who should be paired with Jack.

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