Major trades dominating offseason

There used to be a time, not too long ago, when Major League Soccer general managers and coaches would sit by their phones wondering why the rest of the league's teams were so gun-shy when it came to trades. There would be the occasional blockbuster, but trade flurries were a pipe dream.

That dream has been a reality this winter as major trades have dominated the MLS off-season. More than half of the league's 12 teams have been involved in at least one major trade while four (San Jose, MetroStars, Columbus and Real Salt Lake) have made multiple deals.

What's caused this flurry of wheeling and dealing? The list of factors is as lengthy as the list of trades already consummated. The arrival of two expansion teams, which cost several teams talent, coupled with the departure of several quality players out of the league, were key reasons for the trading frenzy that followed this winter. The busier teams had their own reasons for burning up the phone lines. Here's a look at some of those teams and their reasons for trading:

New home, new squad

FC Dallas is set to open its new stadium this summer and has been eager to shake things up and create a new identity. First, Dallas shipped MLS career scoring leader Jason Kreis to Real Salt Lake, then acquired Richard Mulrooney in a blockbuster, defender Alexander Yi in a dispersal draft and Trinidad & Tobago international Cornell Glen in a deal with the Metros.

How well has FC Dallas done? The various trades definitely shook things up but the team formerly known as the Burn doesn't look much better than last season, when it missed the playoffs. Mulrooney is one of the league's best defensive midfielders but Dallas already had Simo Valakari. Now the club is lacking offensive punch in the midfield after dealing Brad Davis.

Dallas also lost Cory Gibbs, who was sold to Dutch club Feyenoord. Losing Gibbs, along with the underrated defender Matt Behncke leaves some serious question marks around a defense that allowed 45 goals last season (second-most in MLS). Glen has shown flashes of brilliance, but he also showed immaturity with the Metrostars and could become a headache if forced into a third forward role by any potential forward acquisition Dallas has in mind.

Goodbye Landon

San Jose knew rebuilding would come the second Landon Donovan said auf wiedersehen, so it was no surprise the Earthquakes jumped right into the trading fray when Donovan bolted for Bayer Leverkusen. When Ramiro Corrales, Dwayne DeRosario and Ronnie Ekelund also departed, San Jose knew a massive rebuilding job was underway. They dealt away Richard Mulrooney, Jeff Agoos, Arturo Alvarez, Todd Dunivant and Steve Cronin, bringing back Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis and Alejandro Moreno. San Jose also enjoyed a strong draft, landing midfielders Danny O'Rourke and defenders Kevin Goldthwaite and C.J. Klaas.

So has the trade-fest helped or hurt San Jose? A look at the midfield, which will boast the young, talented and relatively inexpensive trio of Clark, Davis and O'Rourke, should give San Jose fans reason to be optimistic. Losing Donovan and DeRosario was devastating, but aquiring Moreno and former San Jose standout Ronald Cerritos were shrewd moves. The Quakes must use one of their two allocations to land a forward partner for 2004 revelation Brian Ching and the other allocation for a defender to help make up for the loss of Agoos and Dunivant. There is still work to be done, but San Jose has managed to do well during an off-season that might have broken other franchises.

New kid on the block

Real Salt Lake had built a roster that looked like a chemistry set waiting to be knocked over. Acquiring the enigmatic trio of Clint Mathis, Andy Williams and D.J. Countess seemed equal parts gutsy and foolish, but the expansion team's newest acquisition may help it all come together.

Eddie Pope isn't a rah-rah guy, but he leads by example and should feel more comfortable playing on a team with more veterans around him. Pope might miss some games, but he could be the missing piece that makes RSL a playoff team, assuming John Ellinger can work his magic as a coach players love to play for.

Metrostars shake-up

The most shocking trade of the off-season had to be the departure of Ricardo Clark. He may not have played as well in his second year as his rookie season but a late-season flourish raised the theory that Clark was slowed by hernia surgery for much of the season. San Jose is banking on Clark showing that form for a full season and was more than willing to pay the $200,000 allocation to find out.

What about the Pope trade? It had to happen, and not just because of the salary flexibility it gives the team. Bob Bradley wanted a vocal leader who could command a young locker room while Pope was left feeling like Bradley wanted a babysitter more than a captain. Agoos fits the bill of vocal veteran leader perfectly. The team's decisions has raised some eyebrows but the fact remains that trading the two standouts was the only way the MetroStars could really transform their roster. While the decisions can't be called bad just yet, they can certainly be called risky.

After two straight disappointing seasons under Bradley, the team is more than willing to take risks. If Agoos can stay healthy, and the Metros can find some quality starters with the money they secured from Pope and Clark, they could finally advance past the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. A more negative scenario could result in a shake-up at the end of the 2005 season that will involve much more than just players.

The heavy flurry of trades has made the 2005 season arguably the toughest to read in years. Every team has either lost or acquired key players. With two more months to go before the start of the 10th MLS season, expect some more maneuvering as teams shift their approaches from the old school style of standing pat to the league's own version of 'Let's Make a Deal'.

Ives Galarcep covers MLS for ESPN.com and is also a writer and columnist for the Herald News (NJ). He can be reached at Ivespn79@aol.com