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The latest on Reyna and the Red Bulls

Claudio_reyna

Good morning folks.

Here are a few things to catch you up on regarding the Red Bulls and Reyna’s retirement:

According to team sources, the Red Bulls first approached Claudio Reyna about the possibility of retiring last month. It remains unclear when Reyna finally made the decision to retire, but the announcement had been delayed while Major League Soccer sorted out how exactly to handle the retirement (yes, you can rest assured that some new DP rules were recently added to the MLS rule book the public has never seen.)

The Washington Post’s Steve Goff reported late last night that league officials told him the Red Bulls will be allowed to use the roster spot and designated player slot, but not the salary cap space. This may sound like a nightmare of a development, but it actually isn’t.

Here’s why. Having the DP slot available is more important than the cap space (Either $175,000 or $200,000) because the Red Bulls can the remaining portion of the Jozy Altidore allocation (the original allocation was approximately $500,000, but some has been used on Jorge Rojas and possibly Gabriel Cichero) toward the salary cap. Now, if the Red Bulls actually want to use the DP slot this year they can certainly fit it into the cap. The question is whether they want to. A team source told me on Tuesday that the team didn’t plan to.

There is also the matter of the roster spot. With as many as five or six new players coming in, Reyna’s departure means one less player will be let go and while it can be argued that there are two to three Red Bulls who could stand to be waived, the added wiggle room of the extra spot will help come decision-making time.

What wouldn’t make much sense is if the Red Bulls get no salary cap relief and don’t use the DP slot this year. Why? Because Reyna retiring and still being paid his full salary will then have only yielded the Red Bulls an extra roster spot, and say what you want about his inability to stay healthy, but it would have been worth it to keep Reyna on the roster and let him try to come back from injury in that case.

If you’re asking "Wait, what do you mean the Red Bulls could have kept Reyna on the roster." From what I understand, the retirement started out as the Red Bulls idea, a suggestion that wouldn’t have made much sense to make for such a minimal gain. I’ve even had one source suggest that Reyna was ultimately forced out.

We should get the full details of what will and won’t happen to Reyna’s DP slot and salary cap slot this afternoon so stay tuned for coverage of the Reyna retirement press conference later today.

Share your thoughts on the latest developments below.

Comments

  1. cbr, perhaps your a bit confused. He’s retiring. That means he doesn’t plan to play anymore. Besides, for the kind of money he would demand,nobody is going to pay him to be a reserve.

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  2. @Mike L

    As far as has been made public, they are not losing the 2nd DP slot soon. This wasn’t a temporary spot, this was a permanent trade from Chivas USA, I believe.

    So no reason for them to lose it in the near future.

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  3. so can claudio play for abother team this year?…he’d be a solid option off the bench for a team making a playoff push. I bet lalas is looking into it now

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  4. Great reporting, Ives

    It’s obvious you think they should use the DP slot immidiately, and I agree completely; especially when you take into account the fact they will lose it soon (although I expect everyone to get another slot by then but that’s just my opinion). What I wanted to ask, and hope you find out is

    What are do they want to do with the open slot and what is there motivation for not signing a DP if that is the case???

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  5. Dominghosa – i agree that a signing this quickly could prove to be more disaterous then Renya…. unless JCO had someone in mind for some time, i agree that they shouldnt rush into a signing…

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  6. If NYRB are to use the DP slot this year. Who would they sign? No big names are out there to move to MLS right now. It would be a waste.

    Save it. Wait for the stadium. Wait for 09. Wait for Henry.

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  7. k-pugs: “If the Red Bulls don’t use it this season then Reyna retiring now is absolutely pointless. ”

    not necessarily… by getting rid of the injured Renya, they have prevented having to get rid of a healthy (less-quality) player…. But, i agree it would seem obvious they’d want to bring in someone… but with all the talk about Henry in 09′ it would be foolish to sign one today (if Henry is still a possiblity)..

    when is JPA’s contract ending??

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  8. Wow. RB listened to the fans.

    They didn’t listen to all the BS coming from the press. A waste is a waste is a waste.

    No matter what happened previoulsy.

    I’m still unpset at many of our press core who treated many of the fans as clueless, unknowing, limited schmos.

    It seems the hardcore fan was the only one right on this from day one.

    Insulting them in the process showed the limtiations of others – press and former friends/players.

    Anywhere in the world, you don’t sit there and insult the hardcore fans and tell them that they are basically stupid. Even when playing he was a piss poor signing. It was obvious “if” you knew soccer. The fans seem to know. Right Ives?

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  9. Ives,

    As I understand it, there should be two additional aspects to this question of the salary cap hit —

    1. In the past, when players retired, I believe that meant an allocation or partial allocation was given to the team. If that’s still the case, then that should cover Reyna’s salary cap hit.

    2. The Red Bulls, like every other MLS team, could choose up to 2 players to waive for salary cap purposes after the waiver deadline. We don’t know who the Red Bulls chose for those 2 players. Seeing as they have been speaking with Claudio about this for a month, its possible that the Red Bulls chose Reyna for one of their two players. In that case, they should still be able to waive him after the deadline and not take his salary cap hit for the rest of the season. I don’t believe anyone has asked about this scenario before.

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  10. I couldn’t agree more re: the DP slot Ives. If the Red Bulls don’t use it this season then Reyna retiring now is absolutely pointless. No one they bring in will be as good as a healthy Reyna. As much as the bandwagon haters will whine about that, it’s simply a fact to anyone who knows even a smidgen about soccer.

    It’s so obvious it hurts: gamble on Reyna getting healthy is greater than making him retire and not using his DP slot.

    I just grow more and more disappointed with this team every day. And to think I’ve probably spent $15 grand on them since 1996.

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  11. Forced out? Makes sense. JCO probably thought it was prudent given CR’s health although I’m not going to say it was his idea. Reyna must have felt it was time.

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  12. Before people go running around jumping to conclusions on players and cap space keep in mind that the team knew this as they were signing Rojas and company so whatever ‘relief’ is given has probably been partially spent.

    As a USMNT fan I also want to say that despite the disaster he’s been for the last year plus. We as American soccer fans owe him a debt of thanks for all that he has contributed in our results on the field as well as paving the way for the Jozy’s and Freddie’s to get to Europe. So let’s not let this get lost in the short term view.

    Thanks Claudio for everythng. I wish you the best in whatever future endeavors you partake and am sorry that your playing career has ended less than ideally.

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  13. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was “forced out”. It will be interesting to see what NYRB do with the DP slot. If he was forced out I have to say congrats to NYRB FO for making it happen. Reyna seems like he was a negative influence on this team in many ways (salary, DP slot). Obviously I have no idea what he was like in the locker room, but it doesn’t seem like he provided much leadership there either.

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  14. Has been? All Signs Point to Yes.

    I think I saw that very sign in Toronto not long ago.

    Claudio had a long and illustrious career as an American soccer icon. His accomplishments should not be forgotten, but this move was long overdue.

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  15. Ives, As a long time Reyna fan I was wondering what you think about Reyna pulling a Favre and coming back next year to a different team, playing on grass, for non DP money? Any chance of that happening or is this the end? Is there any team in MLS or elsewhere that could use him and convince him to move and play for less money?

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  16. That Reyna was paid his full salary definitely suggests that it was a buy-out rather than a genuine “retirement.” Otherwise, he would have forfeited the pro rated portion of his salary.

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  17. Hey Ives, has Reyna expressed any interest in coaching? Given his long career, he probably knows more about the game than all but a few US players. Would his personality be suited to a coaching role? He’s been captain of multiple teams so I guess that’s a good sign.

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  18. Ives: I’m sure you’d let us know as soon as you hear anything, but any idea if any of the new players will be cleared to play this Saturday v the Gals?

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  19. Great inside scoop, thank Ives. I hate seeing CR go out like this, it’s just too bad. But I’m psyched to see it seems RB are taking the necessary stept to make up competitive. Like eyou said: “Soccer is a business.”

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  20. I had a suspicion that Reyna was being nudged out the door–thanks for confirmation, Ives!

    I don’t know if the new signings are of a healthy Reyna’s caliber, but at least they’re available to play. Reyna’s not the only player who’s been injured this season, and our lack of depth is killing us. The team was halfway decent when they could field their starting 11.

    As for Reyna, I guess it took the guarantee that the rest of his salary would be paid to go ahead and retire. Folks will lambast him for not being loyal to the shirt, but that’s bunk. He’s had a journeyman career, and knows better than most that soccer is a business–the instant you stop thinking that, your club has a harsh way of reminding you. He’s got a wife and kids, and still has to figure out how he’s going to make a living for the next 20 or so years.

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  21. Actually, RBNY had to get rid of Reyna regardless of whether or not they get cap relief or a DP for the following reasons:

    1) He’s done as a player

    2) His drama was a distraction

    3) This lets JCO build the team as he sees fit

    4) It shows the fans, many of whom have never warmed up to the “new ownership” that they are actually listening to thems, especially the most dedicated.

    Personally, I want to see Crespo here as a DP but anyone who could do some of the “big things” that Mr. Little Things couldn’t do would be greatly appreciated.

    Reyna was a good player in his day but his day is long over. Arena never should have brought him in, especially to play A-mid. It is now JCO’s team. Let’s see what he makes of it as new players keep coming in.

    I think this move had to be made.

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