(Editorial) – It’s been a busy off season for the Colorado Rapids. With the advent of free agency, the club unfortunately lost longtime center back Drew Moor. The club also traded away a few key players in veteran midfielder Marcelo Sarvas and starting goalkeeper Clint Irwin. The Rapids also loaned out young DP midfielder Juan Ramirez, who will be gone until the summer.
While this off season has been befuddling at times to fans and pundits, the Rapids have made a few good and under the radar acquisitions of late. With a relatively young roster and Pablo Mastroeni in just his third year as a head coach, the club is certainly making a play for the long term. With a good and economical DP addition and a few other moves, they’re shaping this roster so it can grow over time. Let’s break down these recent Colorado Rapids signings.
Analyzing the February Colorado Rapids Signings
Shkëlzen Gashi:
If there’s one move the Rapids and their fans can be happy about this off season, it was the DP signing of Albanian International striker Shkëlzen Gashi. The 27-year-old comes to MLS in his prime. In the past two season, he racked up 25 goals in 41 games for FC Basel in the Swiss Super League. He’s played his entire professional career in Switzerland and improved at every club he’s moved two.
He’s helped his past two clubs, Basel and Grasshoppers, win trophies. Gashi’s also won the past two Golden Boots in Switzerland and he’s helped Basel reach the knock out stages of the Champions League in years past. The 6’0″ forward has been a success as an individual and as part of a team.
Switzerland is normally considered a second tier league in Europe, making his success with Basel in the Champions League all that more impressive. The Rapids will certainly have to punch above their weight to have success in 2016. Gashi has proved he can help his club do that. He’s said all the right things. He could very well be the best under-the-radar move of the MLS off season; he’s certainly the best Colorado Rapids signing of the off season.. How he’ll combine with DP Kevin Doyle remains to be seen.
Conor Doyle:
The Rapids acquired Conor Doyle from D.C. United in exchange for their 2017 MLS SuperDraft 2017 third round pick. The 6’2″ 24-year-old normally plays as a striker, but can also play on the wing. With five other forwards already on the roster, it will be especially tough to find playing time as a forward. And that’s before considering the fact that the Rapids have two DP forwards in Kevin Doyle and Gashi.
Mastroeni could very well try Doyle out on the wing. Doyle had a good start in MLS on loan from Derby County. The Texas native scored 2 goals and one assist in 14 matches after coming to MLS midseason. His last two years with D.C. as he had only 2 goals in 42 appearances. A fresh start and a change of position could be what he needs. At worst, this is a move to gain depth at the forward position.
Eric Miller:
The Rapids also acquired Eric Miller from the Montreal Impact in exchange for their first round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft and general allocation money. Miller was a Generation Adidas player and the fifth overall pick in the 2014 SuperDraft. He started 18 games as a rookie, but was beaten out by Donny Toia (and to a lesser extent Ambroise Oyongo and Victor Cabrera) for playing time in 2015. The 23-year-old played only 517 minutes in MLS last year.
Much like Doyle, Miller could just need a change of scenery to flourish. Miller is the second youngest defender on the Rapids now (Marlon Hairston is 21). He could very well challenge for a starting full back position this year. Miller certainly fits the mold of the blue-chip Rapkids. He could become part of the young core that the front office is looking to mold and develop for years to come.
