Editorial – The LA Galaxy have announced roster changes going into the 2016 season. As of December 7th, the roster sits at 20 players, with the vast majority of the team’s core still in tact.
Most notably, the Galaxy chose to not exercise options on Edson Buddle, Tommy Meyer, and Donovan Ricketts. Alan Gordon is out of contract. Buddle and Gordon are both eligible for free agency under the new MLS Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Now, what do these LA Galaxy roster changes mean for the off season and other roster moves?
Goalkeeping:
Brian Rowe is the only goalkeeper on the books right now. Brian Perk, Andrew Wolverton, and Ricketts were not picked up. Perk has primarily been the third goalkeeper option for Bruce Arena’s side the past few years. He missed the majority of the season due to shoulder surgery and it was probably time to cut bate. Wolverton never played for the first team.
Ricketts will not be returning after having a poor end to 2015 in which he was at fault in all three goals in the Galaxy’s 3-2 loss in the wildcard round to the Seattle Sounders.
I believe Rowe has the potential to be the regular starter for the LA Galaxy. He’s done well the past two years when given starts. The 27-year-old matured through playing in CONCACAF Champions League games. The Galaxy could choose to have him and LA Galaxy II standout Clement Diop battle for the starting spot.
The front office could look to acquire a quality veteran to take place of Ricketts. It appears that Jaime Penedo could soon join Costa Rican power Saprissa. Of the current list of MLS Free Agents and Re-Entry Draft eligible players, there do not appear to be any quality goalkeeping options.
If a new de facto goalkeeper is coming to the LA Galaxy in 2016, it might have to be from outside MLS.
Defense:
In short, everyone but Tommy Meyer is back. While the defense was poor at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs, this group is just one year removed from being tied for the best defense in MLS (37 goals against). While Omar Gonzalez had a poor end to the year, Leonardo had possibly his best run of form since joining the club.
There’s still some uncertainty about Gonzalez’s return due to the salary cap with his salary being bought down with TAM. More TAM could be coming in 2015. I expect this group to bounce back in 2016 if they stay together. Gonzalez’s departure would complicate things significantly, but I assume Arena would have a plan in place if he were to sell the American International.
The one weakness right now is at center back. Meyer was a viable third option when Gonzalez was with the USMNT. Dave Romney can play center back, but is also the best backup left back to Robbie Rogers.
A bench center back pick up is in order. This could come in free agency, the MLS SuperDraft, or from a Los Dos player. The Galaxy will have the 12th overall pick in the SuperDraft. A decent college center back should be available then. Bobby Burling is a free agent, and wouldn’t be a bad option either.
Midfield:
The Galaxy only let go of two midfielders: Mika Vayrynen and Kenny Walker. Vayrynen was a disappointment by the summer and rarely played in the second half of the season. His departure was expected. Walker was a bit more of a surprise as a cheap backup holding midfielder.
All the starting mids will return, including Gyasi Zardes and Ignacio Maganto who can both play as wide midfielders but are listed as forwards. The team is probably set at the wide midfield position. Maybe a young depth option would help, but it’s certainly not a priority.
Like the Omar Gonzalez situation, there are rumors that Reading is interested in Zardes. A potential Zardes move would complicate things. Again, I doubt Arena makes that move without several contingency plans to account for the loss.
Depth is needed at the central midfield positions. With Walker gone, there’s no clear backup for Juninho other than Rafael Garcia. Vayrynen made just over $200,000 in 2015. That should be enough cap space to get a decent midfield option so Baggio Husidic isn’t the only central bench option.
Forwards:
Charlie Rugg, Gordon, and Buddle are the only two forwards from 2015 who are not under contract at present. Rugg was loaned to NASL side Indy Eleven. He made 19 appearances this year but never scored in league play. With so many other young attacking options, Rugg isn’t of much use to this team anymore. Similarly, Buddle is 34-years-old and was not impressive in 2015.
Gordon’s uncertainty is a concern for the LA Galaxy. He is a free agent and can legally negotiate a raise. He made $175,000 in 2015. He’s as old as Buddle and probably isn’t worth that money (not in the long term at least). Still his physicality and late-game heroics have become the stuff of legend in MLS.
It is possible another team is willing to pay more for Gordon’s mythology. Still, he’s from Long Beach and seems genuinely happy in LA. I could see him making himself fit into LA’s budget. If Gordon doesn’t comeback, we could see academy product Jack McBean step into a more prominent role as a No. 9.
Main Photo: Shaun Clark, Getty Images
