Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes spoke to media via conference call on Thursday after the club traded its No. 11 overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft to D.C. United in exchange for Targeted Allocation Money. His remarks can be found below.
On why Sporting KC traded out of the first round...
"There were a couple of players that we were interested in and they went early, and once they did, we got a pretty good offer for our pick. So it made sense to go the direction we did...There were a couple players in the mix that, not only would they be good additions but they could make an impact right away. And since those guys fell to other teams, it just made sense to do what we did because the money is going to allow us to do a couple other things that we want to do, as well."
On the benefit of acquiring Targeted Allocation Money...
"Well, it definitely has its value. So as I have said before, there are some other things that are coming down the pipes, and because of that, we have the ability to use that money to help bring some other players in. It just seemed, at that point, like it was good use. The other thing you guys have to remember is that last year we had three first-round draft picks, and all those guys had an impact on our team this past year. Not to say that there weren’t some guys that we were interested in, but those guys were picked by other teams. And when they fell off the board it just made sense for us to go this route because we have other people we’re still interested in acquiring, and the money a good assistance in doing that."
On the large number of trades and chaotic nature of the SuperDraft's first round...
"There were a few (trades) that went on that you don’t see them in front of you and it’s pretty confusing. But I guess, at the end, if both teams got what they wanted, it still works. But yeah, there were some moments we were trying to figure out what was traded for what and who, but in the end that was other teams so it didn’t really have an impact on us."
On Sporting KC's draft decisions in recent years...
"I’d like to think we’ve done pretty well with our draft picks over the years. It is all about how fast you can have those players adapt and acclimate to your team. I don’t think we shy away from that, I think it’s just part of the process you go through. I don’t think that was a reason for selling the pick away, we just had some very specific guys that we’re interesting in, and when they fell off the board it just made sense for us to look for a different alternative.
"You have to remember, we have (Justin Mapp) who’s a free agent. So we added that. We traded with Houston for Brad Davis. So that’s been another player acquired. And then we added the young (Homegrown Player) Isvtan Salloi. And like I said, we had three first-round draft picks last year, so that’s part of the process, too. And sometimes other things are a little more important. It could be money or it could be other things. I think, all in all, we feel pretty good, we just have to keep adding some other pieces to the team."
On how Targeted Allocation Money will help the team...
"It’s to buy down players that fall in specific categories that are under a $1 million. So you have an opportunity to buy those players down, which is good. You can allocate that money. That doesn’t mean you have to use it all. It doesn’t mean you have to use it all right away, you just have to allocate it for a year, prior to its expiration."
