Photo Credit/Seattle Sounders FC
The New England Revolution, like most MLS teams, don’t need to obsess over this year’s waiver draft, which takes place at 4:30 ET on Wednesday afternoon, to add talent to their roster.
The Revs are smack dab in the middle of the 20-team pecking order, with the draft’s tenth pick.
This year’s list of 27 players eligible to be selected is decidedly less interesting than the one available in 2011, from which the Revolution selected star midfielder Lee Nguyen.
That said, there are a few players the Revolution could use for depth.
Michael Azira, who played in 25 games for the Seattle Sounders from 2014-15, can be used as defensive midfielder or a central defender. He has a U.S. green card, meaning he wouldn’t count as an international player despite being born in Uganda.
His salary last season with the Sounders was $60,000, according to the MLS Players Union.
With a significant lack of depth in both central midfield and defense, the Revs could be tempted to snag Azira.
That same line of reasoning could also lead the Revolution to seriously consider former San Jose Earthquakes defensive midfielder Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi. The 30-year-old has a wealth of experience having played for Ligue 1’s AC Ajaccio, but would count as an international player on the roster and could cause a significant salary cap hit, as he made $260,000 last year.
There are a number of players available that were originally touted for their raw talent, which the Revolution might want to try.
Among such players are former Columbus midfielder Ben Speas and New York City FC’s Pablo Alvarez and Sebastian Velasquez. All three made less than $68,000 last year.
The Revolution have one player available in Wednesday’s draft, Timothy Mulgrew, whose salary was pegged at $50,000 last year.
