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A quick word on the Medranda/Bwana trade, which makes sense for both teams.
Sounders get: 26-year-old LB/LW Jimmy Medranda +225k GAM (w/ another 25k possible)
Nashville get: 21-year-old W Handwalla Bwana
Sounders get: 26-year-old LB/LW Jimmy Medranda +225k GAM (w/ another 25k possible)
Nashville get: 21-year-old W Handwalla Bwana
For Seattle, this is an absolute no-brainer. Medranda gives them proven (he's got 100 MLS games) depth at three spots *and* a good chunk of GAM for a talented Homegrown who was clearly not going to break through and become a regular contributor this year.
Seattle's window for titles is right now, which is why (presumably) Schmetzer has bucked at playing the kids. Bwana had fallen out of the gameday roster, and the Sounders have other, younger attacking players coming through the ranks.
Maybe next year, maybe not 'til 2022.
Maybe next year, maybe not 'til 2022.
So you do Handwalla a solid & send him some place he can play, get a chunk of change and an immediate contributor. Part of the way to leverage a good Homegrown pipeline is occasionally to sell guys on or trade them.
So like I said, a no-brainer from Seattle's POV.
So like I said, a no-brainer from Seattle's POV.
It's a little bit stickier from Nashville's POV in large part b/c that's not a small amount of GAM, and b/c Medranda is a fairly proven veteran.
But Medranda hasn't broken into Nashville's rotation this year, is taking up a senior slot, and this is where we get into the rules...
But Medranda hasn't broken into Nashville's rotation this year, is taking up a senior slot, and this is where we get into the rules...
Thanks to @benwright for this handy dandy chart of Nashville's roster. You can see from this that trading Medranda opens up a senior roster slot, because Bwana slots into a *supplemental* roster slot.
Which means Nashville can go out and add another big piece (IDK if they will)
Which means Nashville can go out and add another big piece (IDK if they will)
There is also a ~100k salary difference between the two players. And remember that expansion clubs are generally swimming in GAM (though, as Cincy showed, that stuff doesn't last forever). Also remember that expansion GAM expires.
So Nashville paid $225k and their third-string LB in order to save ~100k of salary, open a senior roster slot for flexibility, and add a high-upside young attacker.
Not as obvious a no-brainer as it is from Seattle's side, but still the right move IMO.
Not as obvious a no-brainer as it is from Seattle's side, but still the right move IMO.
And one last note here: I like Nashville's young core.
Bwana (W), Randall Leall (W/AM), Alastair Johnston (RB), Derrick Jones (CM), Brady Scott (GK), Jack Maher (CB) and Miguel Nazarit (CB) are all age 23 or younger.
They've been clever about putting this group together.
Bwana (W), Randall Leall (W/AM), Alastair Johnston (RB), Derrick Jones (CM), Brady Scott (GK), Jack Maher (CB) and Miguel Nazarit (CB) are all age 23 or younger.
They've been clever about putting this group together.
(the issue with Nashville is that Mukhtar might not be good enough to run the show, though it's kind of unfair to judge anyone too harshly in 2020)
