The Chivas USA Dispersal Draft is tomorrow. All 20 MLS clubs will select from available former Goats players, with Crew SC holding the 15th selection in the Draft order.
First, the rules of tomorrow's proceedings:
"The Dispersal Draft will be held via private teleconference call with representatives from each club, and clubs will be given one minute to determine their selection. The draft will conclude when all MLS clubs forego a selection.
MLS clubs acquiring Dispersal Draft players must take players at their full 2015 budget charges and options must be exercised, including any associated transfers or loans. If a team selects a player in the Dispersal Draft but leaves him unprotected ahead of the Expansion Draft on Dec. 10, he will be available for selection by either Orlando City or NYCFC at that time.
Players unselected during the Dispersal Draft will take part in the Re-Entry Draft, if eligible, or will be made available via the Waiver Draft on Dec. 10."
Alicia Rodriguez of MLSsoccer.com did an excellent job breaking down who is available in tomorrow's draft. She lists three players as good fits for Crew SC: Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Leandro Barrera and Felix Borja. While the 15th slot might make it difficult for the Black & Gold to add anyone, let's take a look at each of these players and how they might fit with Crew SC, as well as any other potential targets.
Andrew Jean-Baptiste: A former top-10 MLS SuperDraft selection, you might remember Jean-Baptiste the most from his 31 appearances with the Portland Timbers from 2012-2013. He's just 22 years old and offers good size at 6'2". One reason Crew SC might be interested in Jean-Baptiste is because of his youth: between Michael Parkhurst, Emanuel Pogatetz and Tyson Wahl, all three of the Black & Gold's top centerback options are at least 30 years old.
Leandro Barrera: Barrera is a curious case. He's currently on loan from Argentinos Juniors, so he would have to be purchased permanently to remain in the League. That aside, consider the following about Barrera's production in 2014: he had just two assists, but he tied for second in all of MLS in open play crosses with 141. Of those 141, his 17.02% accuracy ranked last among the top-15 crossers, but there's no denying he has the ability to get the ball into the box. Crew SC, however, seems flush with attacking midfield types.
Felix Borja: If I had to rank the likelihood of Crew SC's interest in any one Chivas USA player several weeks ago, Borja would have been my top guess. It's not just because he's a forward. Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter singled him out when discussing the Black & Gold's September match against the Goats, saying the following: "[Borja] is a quality player. I don't think he's gotten a lot of exposure yet in MLS, but he's a good player. You can see, he's very aggressive one-v-one, he's very good in the air and he's a real piece to their team." There are, however, some issues with Borja: like Barrera, he's also on-loan, and the Kei Kamara signing has minimized the Black & Gold's need, especially given that Borja is also north of 30 years old.
Who else is available that, draft order aside, might make sense?
Homegrown Players Caleb Calvert and Marky Delgado will probably be on everyone's radar, just because of their ages (18 and 19, respectively). It's never a bad idea to take a shot on youth, and Calvert is the player who would likely appeal to Crew SC out of these two because of his position (forward) and size (6'2"). At 23 years old, former Clemson Tiger Thomas McNamara also fits into that discussion, but he's coming off of an ACL tear. Still, he had a good start to the season before the injury, and figures to be selected by somebody in the Draft.
Crew SC’s spot at 15 may make some of the above options unavailable, but nevertheless, there is some talent available should the Black & Gold look to make a move tomorrow.
