KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rumors continue to swirl around Sporting Kansas City’s offseason maneuvering in the player market, but manager Peter Vermes maintains nothing is set in stone just yet.
Vermes confirmed to MLSsoccer.com in a phone interview on Wednesday that the team used all 12 of its discovery claims on Monday, having conflicts with other teams on three players. The coaching staff has also made scouting trips to Europe and the Caribbean this offseason, identifying a few prime targets and eliminating others from consideration.
“We definitely are interested in a few guys out there that we have scouted this past year and had our eyes on,” Vermes said. “We’re working on those opportunities as we speak, but there is nothing concrete at the moment that I would comment on a specific player.”
What he would say, however, was that Sporting remain an active player in both the international and MLS markets as a busy offseason gets into full swing.
In addition to speaking with international targets, exploring possible trades and finalizing contracts with current players, Kansas City have had staff members scouting the college ranks in preparation for January’s SuperDraft and the preceding combine.
“There are quite a few different avenues that we are working and driving down right now,” Vermes said.
And although Omar Bravo’s status as a Designated Player will add an additional burden to the club’s salary cap situation, Vermes said he isn’t concerned about potential moves being hindered or held back by financial constraints or the implications of a larger roster.
With the cap itself rising with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement and Kansas City likely to drop a significant chunk of salary assuming well-compensated veterans Jimmy Conrad and Josh Wolff either won’t return or will earn significantly less, Vermes will have some wiggle room.
“I think our salary cap situation is pretty good,” Vermes said. “It gives us some flexibility. I think we are going to have a chance to do some things in the offseason that will help us and some of that is definitely in regards to cap, for sure.”
One thing Kansas City certainly won’t do is sign players that don’t fill needs or provide long-term potential just for the sake of filling all 30 roster spots.
“We’re not going to fill the roster just to fill the places,” Vermes said. “We are going to do it with players that we think fit in to what we are trying to put together. We’re not under any obligation to put 30 guys on the roster. If it ends up being 26, 27, 28, 29 or 30, we just have to be able to put together solid teams for the reserve league. We don’t want to be hasty. We want to be sure we pick up the right players.”
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