The Dispersal Draft: A one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain very little

Next Wednesday, November 15, begins the first of many drafts this offseason and first time that we may see Yallop and Bliss add to the 2015 Fire roster. On Friday MLS selected the order for the Chivas USA dispersal draft and our beloved Men in Red received the lucky 13 spot.

So what does the 13^th spot mean for the Fire? I'll explain that later but first let me run through some of the Chivas USA players that could be selected. Now remember that any player selected will automatically have their 2015 option picked up.

• Eric Avila- The 26-year-old attacking midfielder is an option as the Fire will be looking for depth especially on the outside. His guaranteed compensation for 2014 was $135k which may let Yallop think long and hard about it.
• Leandro Barrera- Likes to play out wide and tries to be a play maker. Like Avila, the Argentine would provide depth on the outside. The 23-year-old's guaranteed compensation for 2014 was $50k which is sort of the salary that is very appealing for a player that young.
• Marvin Chavez- The only reason I'm adding the 31-year-old Honduran midfielder to the list is that he played under Yallop at San Jose. His salary of $200k is not what the Fire need to take on to their books but you never know with Yallop.
• Caleb Calvert or Marco Delgado- Being homegrown products from a respected youth program like Chivas USA, either one of these players might be worth the gamble. Calvert, an 18-year-old forward, and Delgado, a 19-year-old midfielder, might make good long-term projects.
• Andrew Jean-Baptiste- A young big defender that makes a guaranteed compensation of 95k might just be a great pick. The Fire need defenders and there are plenty of open spots in the Fire backline to fill.
• Thomas McNamara- Coming off of ACL surgery he may be a risk but in the 6 games he did play for Chivas he showed he could make an impact. At 23 and having a guaranteed compensation of $60k he will be an attractive option for all teams.
• Martin Rivero- He is a player on the decline after struggling with injuries in 2013. After being traded from Colorado in the last offseason his 2014 season wasn't much different. Still only 25 years old and having salary of $50k, he may be another option as we have seen what a change in scenery can do for players.

So now what does holding the 13^th pick mean for the Fire? It could possibly mean nothing at all. All of the players that I listed could be gone by the time the Fire pick and there may be nothing but reserve players left. For all I know by the time the Fire pick the best player on the board could be Nigel Reo-Coker, whose guaranteed compensation of $446.5k would occupy a DP slot and command a raise.

For me, if there are any players from the above list left, then Yallop should consider taking one of them. If there aren't, then I say pass on the remaining players because it is not worth picking up fodder. The best move for the Fire might be to skip this draft and focus on adding some impact players that can turn this team into a contender.