Editorial (January 15, 2016) – LA Galaxy forward Alan Gordon is a free agent in MLS. There hasn’t been much news on the Galaxy front despite them freeing up some cap space in several ways. The club could also be trending younger, and Jack McBean could take over Gordon’s place. There is a rumor now going around that Gordon and the Colorado Rapids are in contact. What would Alan Gordon bring to the Rapids? Let’s break it down.
Colorado Rapids And Alan Gordon Rumor: Would He Be A Good Free Agent Signing?
Gordon is a 35-year-old striker. The No. 9 has a pretty epic history for scoring goals in stoppage time. He’s played 13 years professionally, with almost all of it in MLS. He’s appeared in 245 regular season games, scoring 52 goals and 28 assists.
The Denver Post has reported that Gordon and the Rapids are close to a deal.
Bench Offense And Molding The Youth:
The one area the Rapids struggled in with in 2016 was their offense. Despite almost winning the Supporter’s Shield, they tied for the second worst offense in the league with just 39 goals in 32 regular season games. They addressed other needs in the MLS SuperDraft, but they still need to make a signing or two to help with goal scoring.
The 2016 Rapids didn’t really have a consistent bench scoring option. Marco Pappa played that role at times, but didn’t create enough consistently. He’s also more of a setup man than he is a finisher. That’s exactly what the Rapids need. A physical striker who you can lump balls into the box for.
That’s Gordon’s game. He can do that to tie games or to kill them off if the Rapids have a lead. He’s a Route 1 shot of adrenaline.
He had some injury problems in 2016. Even if he didn’t, at 35-years-old (and playing at altitude), he’s probably not going to be able to start regularly. On the Rapids with their younger attackers, they don’t need him to. He can come off the bench. He should be content with that role as well.
The former Bash Brother can also act as a veteran voice in the locker room. He’ll help fill the void that Jermaine Jones has left.
Furthermore, he can help motivate and mentor the young attackers like Dominique Badji, Marlon Hairston, and even Caleb Calvert. At worst, he’ll mentor Badji and Calvert on being No. 9 type players and be a good practice dummy in training for the center backs. That will be great prep for Axel Sjoberg in the air.
It All Comes Down To Cost:
The Rapids have a healthy cap situation for 2017. That said, Gordon had a 2016 base salary of $170,000. That’s a lot of money to spend on a bench forward. Based on the CBA and his previous salary, Gordon can negotiate up to a 20% raise.
Based on the rumor mill, Gordon might not be in high demand at the moment. He might not be in a position to negotiate a raise. If anything, he might take a pay cut. The Rapids also might be more wary, coming off a season where they payed Jones a TAM level contract to play in nine games.
If they can get Gordon for the same price, it’s probably ok from an economic stand point. If they can get him for less than that, it’s probably a good signing. If they could get him for $100,000, it will be a great move. Even if he’s not healthy for the whole year.
