TORONTO — Toronto FC were one of 16 teams that passed on selecting a player in Stage 1 of MLS' inaugural Re-Entry Draft on Wednesday.
Only D.C. United and Columbus made picks. DC grabbed Joseph Ngwenya with the first overall pick and Columbus added Aaron Hohlbein with the 10th pick. The only Toronto player available, Nick Garcia, was not selected.
Interim Toronto GM Earl Cochrane said last week that the Reds would not hesitate to take a player if it was felt that it would improve the club. However, after evaluating what was available, Cochrane said he felt that it was best to pass on the players available on Wednesday.
“We assessed the players available to us via the Re-entry Draft in the same manner we approach all acquisitions," Cochrane told MLSsoccer.com in an e-mail moments after the draft had ended. "'Do these players add the quality we need to make us better, possess all of the qualities we are looking for as we build our team, and do they fit within our budget situation at the present time?'
“While there certainly is quality available in the draft, we felt that in the cases where the quality was there, the costs associated with those players didn’t match up with our present situation.”
His comments were consistent with what he said last week when he suggested that most of the action in the Re-Entry Draft would occur in the second phase. By waiting, teams can renegotiate the player’s contract.
The second phase takes place on Wednesday, Dec. 15. Until then, teams are free to negotiate with players. Many have speculated that there will be a great deal of action between now and then.
Kansas City head coach/technical director Peter Vermes told TheKansas City Star that he expects teams to approach things strategically this week as “smart teams” try to negotiate new deals with the players they left unprotected so that they maintain their rights and contemplate future trades.
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