Chivas USA has officially been on the clock since Friday when news first surfaced that United States National Team midfielder Benny Feilhaber has signed with MLS. With the contract already agreed upon and the Goats sitting atop the Allocation Order, they essentially hold all of the cards and have let it be known that they intend to use as much time as necessary to decide what to do.
Benny Feilhaber’s MLS Fate To Be Decided Tuesday Afternoon
Obviously, if they were dying to have Feilhaber and considered adding his salary -- probably close to Designated Player level, but not quite hitting that threshold -- Chivas USA would have already claimed him. But as with all things MLS, it’s never quite as simple as that. Chivas USA is essentially faced with three choices:
- Claim him, add him to the roster and start enjoying the Benny Feilhaber era. Upside: Feilhaber is the kind of player around whom a team can be built. He's dynamic and fun to watch. Add him to an attack that already has some interesting pieces and you could have something special on your hands. He might not be a huge box-office draw right now, but he could develop into one. Downside: He'd likely become the most expensive player on the Goats roster and as more of an attack-minded central midfielder doesn't seamlessly fit Robin Fraser's system.
- Trade the spot. Upside: Almost every team in the league can probably envision Feilhaber helping their team, and more than a few would probably absolutely love to have him. If Fraser would rather have more of a classic box-to-box midfielder, someone like Brad Evans or Jeff Larentowicz would cost about two-thirds of Feilhaber. Geoff Cameron would cost even less than that. In fact, if Cameron is on the table, I think that's almost exactly what Chivas would be looking for. Downside: A move like this would almost certainly be step down in talent and would hardly excite the fanbase.
- Skip the turn. Upside: You retain your spot in the Allocation Order and Chivas USA has their eye on another USMNT player who they think will be available in June. Downside: That's a big gamble since there's no guarantee that even if you know which player you want that they'll actually be available.
Of these options, it’s hard to argue against simply picking Feilhaber. There was a lot written over the offseason about how this seemed to be a new era of Chivas USA, but skipping a chance to acquire a talent like Feilhaber just reeks of the previous era when the bottom line took precedent over everything else. If Chivas USA doesn’t end up selecting him, I hope for the sake of their fanbase that they are able to explain themselves adequately.
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