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Reyna press conference updates

Here are more developments from today’s press conference:

MLS commissioner Don Garber clarified the situation with regard to Claudio Reyna’s retirement and its impact on the Red Bulls salary cap. The Red Bulls can use the designated player slot and roster spot, but will not be able to use the salary space. The league made the decision that it was unfair for the Red Bulls to lose the DP slot for the remainder of the season, but that it would be unfair to the league’s other teams for the Red Bulls to also retain the salary cap space.

Juan Carlos Osorio admitted that he has two forwards in mind for the roster slot and says he has enough money to sign one along with the other players with the team already (Jorge Rojas, Juan Pietravallo, Gabriel Cichero, Diego Jimenez).

Osorio also acknowledged that the Red Bulls just don’t have the salary space to sign a true designated player, but that the club has identified some players they would like to try and sign with the slot next year.

Garber also acknowledged that the Red Bulls will have the Chivas USA designated player slot through the 2009 season. Osorio stated that the team could have the slot through the 2012 season depending on what happens in the next collective bargaining agreement (I need to get that clarified, wouldn’t be good news for Chivas USA if that were true.)

Tab Ramos was at the press conference and acknowledged that he won’t be starting his coaching career any time soon. When Ramos retired he said he had no interest in coaching, but did recently make a cameo as an assistant coach with the U.S. Under-20 for its recent match against Mexico, a 3-0 win.

That’s all for now. I’m sure there are some nuggets that I forgot to pass along. I’ll post anything else later on today.

Feel free to share your thoughts on any of these developments below.

Comments

  1. IVES –

    You say that Osorio knows they can’t sign a “true” DP due to the situation, and I respect that. But could that wording leave a possibility to still use the physical slot to sign a very good forward? Or do you assume the forward will come out of cap room already available?

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  2. Barry Jive-

    Yeah, the deal is insane from a Chivas USA perspective. DP slot for 5 years in exchange for anyone — let alone for Guevara, who they waived! (after 4 games?) They should have included a clause where the time period of the DP slot expired sooner if Guevara was no longer with Chivas.

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  3. @ Robert

    Don’t be such a hopeless prude. If “DP” is a good enough term for the porn industry, it’s certainly good enought for MLS.

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  4. Obviously, DPs have been an enormous success both on the field and off (Reyna notwithstanding.) The rule will be renewed in 2009’s CBS along with a significant salary cap increase. I wouldn’t be surprised if the league changed the DP number to two slots per team as well. Things are going very well in MLS.

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  5. Obviously, DPs have been an enormous success both on the field and off (Reyna notwithstanding.) The rule will be renewed in 2009’s CBS along with a significant salary cap increase. I wouldn’t be surprised if the league changed the DP number to two slots per team as well. Things are going very well in MLS.

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  6. If we were the Galaxy they would give us 11 more DP slots and a special $50 million salary cap, then they would force other another team to trade us their best forward and “grandfather in” 9 more super contracts after we used up our 11 DP slots.

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  7. Since Beckham signed a 5-year contract I’m pretty sure the DP rule will be renewed, at least for 2 years.

    As for CUSA trading their DP for 5 seasons – were they smoking crack?

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  8. Ives,

    What is the actual amount of salary cap space that the Red Bulls would not be able to use due to the unfairness of it all? Is it $400K, $325K or a pro-rated amount ($200K)?

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  9. Osorio confirms what I read somewhere when the Red Bulls got the DP slot from Chivas USA. The DP slot would be held by the Red Bulls for up to 5 seasons. The DP rule would, however, be reviewed by the league after three seasons (which would be after the 2009 season). Now, I guess what Osorio means when he says that it depends on the collective bargaining agreement is that if the owners feel they are going to have to shell out too much money, then they’ll do awa with the DP slots after next season. I can’t believe this will happen, buy you never know.

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  10. I always remember hearing the Amado deal was for 5 years DP slot, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s past 2009. I remember hearing Dallas offered us a year DP slot and Chivas offered us 5.

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