Why are the Dynamo not making any moves?
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
Why have the Dynamo not done much this offseason? This is a question that has been floating around the internet for the past few weeks. Everybody loves a busy offseason (like last year), so when the team has made very little to no moves, as of now, the fan base gets a bit disappointed. There are many factors as to why the Dynamo has yet to make any substantial moves. Let’s dive into these reasons so we have a better understanding of the Dynamo’s 2024 offseason.
Cap Space
One of the big reasons that comes to mind is the lack of cap space. The Dynamo used up most of their cap space last season in the summer. Teenage Hadebe and Corey Baird were the only players that have departed so far that took up any cap space. Corey was on $550k and Teenage was a Designated Player, so his cap impact was $651k. Ivan Franco also had his loan end, he was on $335k. The other players to depart were all supplemental roster spots, so they did not affect the cap at all. Coming into this new season, Griffin Dorsey was given a new contract which likely gives him a significant raise (no numbers have been reported as of now). The players brought in midseason will now also have their full cap impact as they will be here for the entire season. This includes Chase Gasper, who was taking up a supplemental roster spot after he was picked up on waivers. He will now have his full cap impact of 400k. We still do not have the exact numbers, but it is likely that the only cap available now would be to bring in another U22 Initiative player or fill that last Designated Player spot with either a max TAM Player or a U24 DP.
Departures?
Now that we understand how little flexibility the Dynamo have with their roster, we must look at why they have yet to fill in those last DP and U22 spots. This whole offseason there have been two major questions with player departures. Will Sebas Ferreira or Coco Carrasquilla be leaving in the winter? Sebas Ferreira was the odd man out last year at the striker position and was sent out on loan to Brazil to try and generate some market interest. He did the complete opposite and now it looks almost impossible to move him. The buy-out is also not a likely option, being the Dynamo would have to pay him almost as much money as they paid Libertad to acquire him initially. Based on Ben Olsen, Pat Onstad, and Asher Mendelsohn’s comments, it seems like they will try and make the most of his talents and keep him around this season. Maybe he can find his footing again and we can all move on from this discussion. Until they know what Sebas’s future will look like, don’t expect the team to invest one of those last roster spots on a striker. Now with Coco Carrasquilla, he has expressed interest in going back to Europe. While the Dynamo will likely let him go for the right price, no serious offers have been reported as of now. Like with the striker position, they have no idea what the future of that wide midfielder position will look like. They have already acquired Sebastian Kowalcyk to compliment Coco in that position, so there is another area the team likely won’t want to invest any money in.
Once the Dynamo have an idea on what the future of Sebas Ferreira and Coco Carrasquilla looks like, the fans can expect the Dynamo to start making moves accordingly. They just don’t know where the best areas to invest in the team are at this moment in time. If they invest a DP spot in Sebas or Coco’s positions and they end up staying and playing great, then that just adds way more questions. If there is another player acquired before the season kicks off, I would expect it to be a U22 Initiative player that can be a long-term project. Perhaps there will be more clarity come the summer and they can start making some big moves.
