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In further confirmation that the MLS Summer Silly Season is firmly upon us, we received the following email below yesterday afternoon and sat on it while we did what we could to confirm at least parts of this story. That confirmation has now come in the form of this article in the Columbus Dispatch.
The reason we did not publish this immediately was because it seemed too detailed on the LA side of things to be coming from someone whose only connection was a relative who plays for the Crew, also it seemed give LA almost too much and we have been the target of certain people in LA sending in a false story in the past (which ironically turned out to be true).
We have changed the wording so as to preserve the anonymity of our source and the player who fed him information but the details are still intact.
As always take this with a grain of salt and do with it what you will. It might be true but our hunch is that it isn't however there is a kernel of truth in it, regarding the Crew wanting Ruiz. If it is a spoof it is a well crafted one so kudos to whoever dreamt it up.
Anyway, here goes:
to MLSrumors@gmail.com
date Tue, Jul 1, 2008 at 5:07 PM
subject Crew-Galaxy trade
I have been sworn to secrecy but I think you guys get a bum rap and since this will be out within probably 18 hours I don't see the harm.
My relative is a Crew player. I live in LA and am a huge Galaxy fan, so he called me this afternoon with this story:
At practice this morning, both Sigi Schmid and Frankie Hejduk (sp?) were missing. The assiatant coach, the Polish guy Bob something ran practice for a while and nobdy said anything.
After about two hours they called the whole team back into the locker room and Sigi was waiting there. He announced to them that Hejduk had been traded to LA. He said that this was a deal that had been discussed as far back as the combine but the Crew had decided to pass but when the Noonan deal got cancelled Sigi called Lalas up and asked if he was still interested, and the deal was done and faxed to MLS just 20 minutes before the midnight deadline last night.
LA gets Frankie, since he's never made a secret that he'd rather be back where he grew up and can spend his spare time doing the thing he loves most, which is surfing. He can be the fast overlapping defender playing on the right behind Beckham that will stretch defenses laterally and also get back and play lock down defense behind becks, who will be spared the wear and tear on his legs.
In return, Crew gets Carlos Ruiz, who Sigi orginally signed and brought to LA when he was the coach. With the emergence of Edson Buddle as a scorer, Ruiz was unlikely to even crack the starting lineup let alone get regular time, and he's way too expensive. He saw the handwriting on the wall and has been asking to be traded. Sigi desperately needs another top class forward.
LA will pick up $250,000 of Ruiz salary this season, and he will be Crew's first DP.
Best part: LA frees up a DP slot, and the rumor apparently is that one of the players in the Free Kick contest in Houston this weekend is already in LA but nobody knows who it is. Could be Ronadlinho, but there are some others there, obviously.
The deal is not being announced because it's contingent on Ruiz passing a physical with the Crew's team doctors. He was supposed to be there this afternoon, NK if he made it or if he's seen the docs or will be seen tomorrow. If the Crew Dr's say he's OK then the deal will be sealed. LA has set a 48 hour deadline.
I'm givng this to you because, honestly I think you guys get a bunch of abuse you don't deserve, but please be careful how you refer to me since people with Columbus know me and I don't want to get my relative in trouble. Some players are easier to replace than others and I would feel really lousy if I cost him his shot.
If you have any questions I can try and get you answers, but that's about all I know until I talk to my relative again
Peace
LA doesn't free up a DP spot. Ruiz was grandfathered, so that DP spot should go out the window. The same if Landon left. LA really only has one DP spot.
Flaws with the mail already is that Ruiz is not a DP as he, Donovan, EJ were all grandfathered in back in the day. This does not free up then a DP for LA. Frees them up some cap room yes but not a DP, they would still have to trade for a second one. Thus the Crew wouldn't be using one either.
I can believe the rest of the trade just not some of the justifications on the DP information.
Ruiz is a "grandfathered" DP, someone making DP money but not taking a DP spot. This is due to his making DP money before there was a "DP" rule. The only other grandfathered DP in MLS is Landon Donovan. Eddie Johnson was also a grandfathered DP before moving to Fulham. Grandfathered DPs are treated like DPs for salary cap purposes. However, neither one takes up a DP slot so getting rid of Ruiz does not free up a DP. LA only has one DP slot (Beckham). Also, under the DP rule no team may have more than 2 DP spots. DP spots can be traded and sold. Donovan and Ruiz are grandfathered and do not use DP spots. The only teams in MLS with more than 1 DP spot are NY (Reyna, Angel) and DC (Gallardo and Emillio, the most recent MLS DP having been upgraded earlier this season).
If people in Columbus really wanted to figure out who the leak is, it wouldn't be difficult. Who has family in Los Angeles and is just now getting his shot?
I've got a pretty good idea who it is. If I'm right, the player's identity isn't hidden all that well.
I know you guys had to run with it, but I would rate this a 2 or 3 at best. But if it is true...that would suck. Frankie is a the staple of the marketing campaign and captian of the team. This would be one of those deals that would be strictly business. Sometimes business sucks.
By the way Sigi is gone to his daughter's wedding in Caly. That might be where he was.
#1 Was no deadline last night.
#2 Ruiz not a DP.
#3 Ruiz moves, his grandfather rule moves with him.
On the surface of it, it's plausible, evenm true, but the details on this email are all wrong and show a lack of understanding of MLS rules.
Also, LA don't need help at DR - Klein is doing well...and they have 3 options at DL. They need a quality veteran DC - something apparently already on the way.
The Conde 'deal' made more sense than this...
how does a columbus dispatch article stating interest in Ruiz = confirmation of the deal???
basic journalism goes out the window with you guys huh?
so maybe the reason LA is going to pay 250,000 of Ruiz's contract is b/c they're getting the DP slot along with Frankie. That would seem like a steep price for Ruiz, but totally implausible.
"Anonymous Anonymous said...
how does a columbus dispatch article stating interest in Ruiz = confirmation of the deal???
basic journalism goes out the window with you guys huh?
July 3, 2008 12:35 PM"
We did not say it confirmed the deal, just that it moved it from the area of it being total fiction to at least somewhat plausible. We were not even going to print the email until we saw the Dispatch article.
And by the way, we are not a newspaper nor are we journalists. We may at times resemble both however.
As for a rating. We did not give it one because there were so many holes in the story we found it unrateable but if we were to assign one we'd give it a 1 (Poor) at the moment Key words: "AT THE MOMENT", as with all rumors, that can change with further evidence. That said, a 2 would be very generous.
for someone trying to protect your source, you guys to a lousy job. As someone mentioned earlier you didn't do a very good job. I too have a very good idea the player who might have leaked this. It's not very hard, and if I and others can I'm sure Crew FO will.
Good job protecting your source
I'm sure it does not have anything to do with a Crew player whose name rhymes with Bobby Dodgers...
I'm gonna guess Stefani Miglioranzi.
Give the site a break, it is for rumors. I think a 1 is generous on this.
The biggest problem with this rumor is not that it is titillating, which it is, but that what the Galaxy is getting in return for Ruiz isn't good enough. Hejduk is very good and still has what it takes to play at international and all-star levels, but he comes expensive if the G's also have to pay a portion of Ruiz' salary (if the $250K number is accurate, then, given that half the season is gone, the Crew get him for free for 2008) AND he fills a need that isn't that pressing.
That doesn't make sense. Center back is more important AND so is central midfield. The move just doesn't make tactical sense.
But (1) it's a rumor! So whatever. And (2) this is the Galaxy we're talking about so anything is possible and the stupider the more likely it becomes.
I too have a crew relative and he could not confirm this story...unless he has "sworn" secrecy as well...
if this is true this leaves a spot for Feilhaber after the olympics....