KANSAS CITY -- For the Kansas City Wizards, having the No. 8 overall pick in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft is not great, but it's not bad either, especially in this year's more bountiful class of draftees.
"This draft compared to last year's, overall, there are many more athletes. It's just a bigger, stronger, faster group than last year," said Kansas City technical director Peter Vermes.
The Wizards traded up just before last year's draft to snag the top overall pick (used to choose UCLA product Chance Myers) to make a lucrative combo with their other first-round pick (No. 11 overall), which Vermes and head coach Curt Onalfo used to pick up Roger Espinoza out of Ohio State. Both players are a part of Generation adidas. Time remains for the Wizards to move up this year too.
"There's always discussion around [moving up]. It's just a matter if there are willing partners out there. But I think we'll still find some decent talent at that [eighth spot] as well," Vermes said. "[But] until we get to our pick it's hard to say if those guys are going to be available. Being in eighth place is not a bad place, but it's not perfect either."
Prognosticators feel the Wizards will look to bolster their center midfield and midfield flanks via the draft. Former Maryland midfielder Jeremy Hall and former UNLV midfielder Daniel Cruz, both in this year's Generation adidas class, have been mentioned as possible targets. Not wanting to show his cards, Vermes preferred not to talk about individual players because there were some "interesting things going on," implying the possibility of last-minute deals by the Wizards or others that might impact the dynamic of the draft.
"We are looking for players in every line of the field, including goalkeeper. There is all kinds of talent here," said Vermes. "... Last year, when we traded up to get the first overall pick for the draft, it allowed us to establish the direction of the draft. Now we're not going to have that luxury."
Vermes did say that the Wizards are looking to fill "some very specific needs."
"We may not take a player who people think, 'Oh, that guy's great.' but who doesn't really serve our purpose," he said. "We spent a lot of time building this team over the last two years, whether it's through the draft or through trade. We think now we have a couple of areas that we need to fulfill. We think we can do it through the draft as long as a couple of those guys are on the board when [we come up]."
As in most collegiate drafts, players will likely need time to develop before they can have a significant impact on a team's starting 11, yet Vermes feels there are a few candidates who have the size and skill set to make an impact and "hold their own." Yet, those who can push the Wizards to serious MLS title contenders this season could come from outside the United States.
With the sloughing off of some heavy salaries through the departures of Sasha Victorine (late-season trade to Chivas USA), Carlos Marinelli (waived), Kerry Zavagnin (retirement), and the re-signing of former designated player Claudio Lopez at a lower rate, Kansas City has the cap space to make a move or two for a difference maker. That player would likely fill the role of attacking midfielder or forward.
"[The re-signing of Lopez] does open up some considerable salary cap for us which allows us to do some other things. That's pretty good," Vermes said. "I made a couple of trip overseas to Eastern Europe [in the offseason], so we have a couple of feelers out over there still. And we'll see how that progresses as we move forward."
The Wizards' open designated player slot could loom large in any intra-league deal, but Vermes said, "it doesn't seem like teams are going after the DP slot this year."
With Kansas City holding five picks (8, 22, 23, 42 and 50), Vermes, Onalfo, and staff will have a busy SuperDraft day in St. Louis. Up until then, the Wizards have a chance to fill via trade what seems to be a large gap between the eighth and 22nd pick or between the 23rd and 42nd picks to fill any gaps in their roster. No matter the direction the day takes, the Wizards will have improved their side.
"Sometimes you are surprised by a guy like Michael Harrington (third overall pick in 2007 and a solid starter for two seasons) who can immediately come in and make an impact or a Jonny Leathers (25th overall in 2008 and more than 1,000 minutes in his first season) or a Roger Espinoza," Vermes said. "But we know exactly what we want."
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