Kreis, Jeff, & Esky: Desperation, Indifference, Rage

Just as I was about to mull over how a man like Jason Kreis, so recently elevated to coach, would go about acquiring the three new players he says he needs (hat-tip, du Nord), I start tripping over trades, rumored and actual.

A good one-stop glimpse at the key threads in play showed up a couple places - I happened to stumble across MLS Underground's first (LINK) - and, after picking through those, an early answer to the question of how Kreis would go about acquiring players comes back as not very well.

To lift the basics from MLS Underground's post, here's what we seem to be looking at:

"* The trade of Jeff Cunningham to Los Angeles for Nate Jaqua and an unknown player
* Alecko Eskandarian from Toronto to Salt Lake City."

Based on what I'm seeing so far, the confirmed piece of this involves Eskandarian heading to Salt Lake City (Semi-interesting side-note: I shared my opinions on media in the comments to a post by D from The DCenters about a jab (friendly? otherwise?) Washington Post Steve Goff directed at that site; I meant what I said about scoops (e.g. I don't put much stock in getting news first), but I will add this: when Goff reports something, his position means, or should mean, he's taking pains to be accurate; in other words, I rarely trust rumors till I see them in the MSM; back to it). Follow the link and you'll read the words of a player unhappy about a second relocation tips. More significantly, even as Esky has looked like one of Toronto's chief threats thus far (though this appears to be shifting), I'm not seeing him as the answer to RSL's considerable problems.

The same goes for Nate Jaqua, if that rumor ever pans out. In other words, unless that "unknown players" is just the shit - and it's hard to see a player of stature plus Jaqua - I'm second-guessing the bejesus out of Kreis' moves so far.

Then again, I could be wrong; wouldn't be the first time (as anyone who has seen my stabs at predictions would know). With at least one fan out Salt Lake Way sounding not too bothered by the whole thing...well, that just ups my chances.

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