|
|
The Re-Entry Draft has now passed, and Toronto FC has made a move, picking up Danny Califf with the first selection in the second round. The club passed during the first round of the Re-Entry Draft, which took place last Friday, most likely because of the rules, which limit the negotiability of a selected players’ salary.
With Califf drafted and the Re-Entry selection now over, Toronto FC cannot take their next three picks lightly. They’re not done drafting just yet. The Reds still hold on to two very important commodities – spots No. 1 and No. 3 in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, set to take place in Indianapolis on January 17, 2013 (if the Earth is still around, we’ll have to wait and see!).
In total, Toronto FC have three selections they needed to make over the offseason. They picked well with option number one. The next two picks are crucial.
With the first pick of the MLS SuperDraft, Toronto FC has a couple options. They can draft the best player overall, or they could draft a player they need in a position they are lacking in (centerback and centre midfielders come to mind). They could also trade the pick, which is rather valuable, for a couple starting line-up players.
Consider that Portland received Ryan Johnson and Milos Kocic in exchange for pick No. 3, and you can see how valuable the first overall spot is for some clubs, especially to clubs like San Jose Earthquakes or Sporting Kansas City, who sit at the very bottom of the draft order due to their top of the league finishes in 2012.
If Toronto FC can acquire two solid, starting quality players for draft pick No. 1, then I say go for it. If they can swing a five-player deal for the No. 1 and No. 3 pick, even better. There are numerous holes to be filled for Toronto FC, and the recent trades and releases have not helped at all with depth. In fact, it has left Toronto FC woefully thin in certain areas of the field, and almost non-existent in others. There is no left midfielder anymore, for example, now that Eric Avila and Ryan Johnson are gone.
It will take a smart series of strategy to maneuver the complicated world of the MLS SuperDraft, but if there’s one man who has experience, it’s club president Kevin Payne, who, since the inception of the league, has taken part first-hand with D.C. United.
Toronto FC need to make the right moves in order to maximize the potential earnings of the draft. With Paul Mariner publicly criticizing the abundance of youth and the lack of experience in his 2012 roster, it’s hard to imagine the club will draft two new, raw players out of collegiate leagues.
The most likely scenario? Toronto FC trades pick No. 1, drafts with pick No. 3
The perfect scenario? With so many holes, TFC are given another expansion draft.
Related:
• On the 2nd day of Christmas, Payne gave to TFC: Two Centerbacks
• On the 1st day of Christmas, Payne gave to TFC: A Winterized BMO Field
|