Portland Timbers Already Reshaping Roster for 2016
Friday, January 08, 2016
The team has already made a number of personnel moves in the past three weeks, including saying goodbye to three players who were regular fixtures for the Timbers over the past two seasons. Gone are midfielder Will Johnson (Toronto FC), defender Jorge Villafana (Mexican club Santos Laguna), and striker Maximiliano Urruti (FC Dallas). While Johnson had recently fallen out of favor with Porter due to the change in formation and Johnson’s recent health issues, both Villafana and Urruti played major roles in the Timbers’ drive to MLS Cup. Practically, the realities of life in a salary cap league necessitated the moves to give Portland needed flexibility with the rest of the roster.
Portland did trade for defender Chris Klute from Columbus Crew, ostensibly with an eye toward filling the void left by Villafana. Prior to joining Columbus, Klute was a member of the Colorado Rapids where he was voted the team’s defender of the year in 2013.
Portland also acquired veteran defender Jermaine Taylor through the re-entry draft, who previously was a starter for Houston Dynamo before an injury forced him out of the lineup. Taylor is another veteran presence on the backline and provides experience and skill behind starters Liam Ridgewell and Nat Borchers, who are both expected to return. Taylor also serves as insurance for Portland should they be unable to come to terms with defender Norberto Paparatto, who is currently a free agent.
The offseason transfer window for MLS does not officially open until February 18th, which would be the first date that Portland could go out and purchase the rights to non-MLS players. Portland is currently sitting on a fairly large amount of Targeted Allocation Money (briefly explained here) which could be used to bring in another top-tier talent. Portland could buy down the salary cap hit of Diego Valeri or even possibly Liam Ridgewell and use that Designated Player slot to insert another difference maker into the lineup.
Based on recent history however, don’t expect Portland to make any large, splashy moves this year. Recently Portland has eschewed the high-priced international veteran model (Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba, Kaka, etc.) for a more pragmatic, fit-oriented approach to player acquisitions. Particularly with their large signings, Portland seems to look for younger players that will fit in well in the Portland culture and could be a part of the team for years to come, such as Lucas Melano (22 years old), Fanendo Adi (25 years old), or Diego Valeri (acquired at 27 years old). Additionally, Portland is bringing back at least nine of their eleven starters from a team that won the title, so there is little pressure to make a large splash with a signing.
In the coming months, look for Portland to attempt to restock their depth, particularly behind Adi with Urruti now in Dallas. Porter and Wilkinson are probably also shopping for second-team midfielders who are comfortable box-to-box, with Nagbe now a strong candidate for national team duty and Valeri’s injury history.
Amazingly, we are already less than two months away from the beginning of the 2016 MLS season. While the core of the Portland Timbers will remain largely unchanged from the championship-winning squad we saw a month ago, the financial realities of MLS and the price of success mean that Paulson, Porter, and Wilkinson have their work cut out for them to craft a team with the skill and depth to challenge for a repeat championship, particularly with a target now squarely placed on their backs.
Related Slideshow: 10 Vines Celebrating the Portland Timbers Season
Related Articles
- 10 Vines Celebrating the Portland Timbers Season
- Timbers Record 3rd Consecutive Victory
- Timbers One Game Away From Champions League Quarterfinals
- Timbers Look To Control Playoff Destiny
- Timbers Shift Into Playoff Contention
- Timbers Take 3-1 Victory in First Leg of Conference Championship
- Timbers v. Alpha United: A Chance To Advance
- Timbers Tally Victory In Stoppage Time
- Timbers Headed to MLS Final
- Timbers Eliminate Sounders From the U.S. Open Cup
- The Timbers And Whitecaps Draw at 1-1
- The Portland Timbers’ Guide to the Final Week of MLS
- The Portland Timbers and Why We Love Sports
- The Timbers Dismantle The Sounders
- Timbers Better Buckle Down
- Timbers Draw LA Galaxy 2-2 with 90th Minute Mayhem
- Timbers Cruise Past the Houston Dynamo
- Timbers v. Earthquakes: Three Things We Learned
- What Portland Timbers Coach Caleb Porter Needs To Do In Year 3
- What Is Happening To The Portland Timbers?
- What Does “Targeted Allocation Money” Mean for the Timbers?
- What To Watch For From The Portland Timbers
- Who Deserves The Captain’s Armband: Timbers v. Earthquakes
- Will Fanendo Adi’s Struggles Doom the Portland Timbers?
- Why The Timbers Won’t Make the 2014 Playoffs
- What Does Signing Lucas Melano Mean for the Portland Timbers?
- VIDEO: Timbers Championship Highlights
- Timbers vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Three Things To Watch
- Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake: 3 Things We Learned From The Timbers’ 0-0 Draw
- Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake: 3 Things We Learned From The Game
- TIMBERS WIN MLS Championship
- Time for the Timbers, Sounders to Stand up for Women’s Soccer
- Timbers’ Offensive Firepower Balanced by Defensive Woes
- Standing (And Flying) with the Timbers Army
- Spotted In Portland: Patrick Stewart is a Timbers Fan
- How Should the Portland Timbers Use a Healthy Diego Valeri?
- How Could The U.S Men’s National Team Benefit From Portland Timbers’ Darlington Nagbe?
- Game Preview: Portland Timbers vs. New York Red Bulls
- How They Stand: Portland Timbers Update
- Jack Jewsbury: Timbers Fans Are Key to Soccer Team’s Success
- Numbers to Know: Timbers v. Real Salt Lake
- MLS Champion Portland Timbers Join Long-Standing Rose City Tradition
- Five Thoughts On The Timbers’ Schedule
- Diego Valeri’s Back: What does it mean for the Portland Timbers?
- 20 Places to Watch the Timbers in the MLS Cup
- 11 Moments that Led the Portland Timbers to the Brink of a Title
- Bumps and Bruises Will Define Portland Timbers’ Early Slate
- Championship Bound: The Portland Timbers’ Best 10 Wins This Season
- Diego Valeri Steps Up For The Timbers
- Defensive Lapses Doom Timbers
- PBOT Urges Timbers Fans to Bike, Walk, or Take TriMet to March 7 Game
- Portland Timbers Draw on the Road Against San Jose
- Portland Timbers Western Conference Finals Preview – Will Johnson’s Final Stand?
- Portland Timbers vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Match Preview
- Portland Timbers Unable To Capture Second Victory
- Portland Timbers’ Report Card: Who Excelled and Who Flunked?
- Portland Timbers’ Title Run Keyed by Depth, Defense
- Ronaldinho Heading to MLS: Could He Be the Portland Timbers’ New Designated Player?
- Portland Timbers: Highlights And Lowlights So Far This Season
- Portland Timbers Switch Up Lineup, Smash Seattle
- Portland Timbers Sign Lucas Melano
- Portland Timbers Fall to the Vancouver Whitecaps
- Portland Timbers Draw Opener, Provide Flashes Of Better Things To Come
- Portland Timbers Fall To Their Northwest Rivals
- Portland Timbers Hit Rock Bottom In Honduras
- Portland Timbers Pick Up Michael Seaton From D.C. United
- Portland Timbers Just Can’t Seem to Get Out of Their Own Way
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It