MLS Re-Entry Draft: D.C. United passes on Stage 2

The odds of D.C. United selecting someone in this year's Re-Entry Draft were always going to be low once the pool of candidates was revealed to be pretty weak. It comes as no surprise to report that United ended up passing in today's Stage 2, a round in which teams can pick players up and negotiate a new, lower-cost contract.

Given that the Black-and-Red established a deep roster - partially via last year's far more intriguing RED - there's no real reason to feel disappointment here as fans. The players that were taken are not outright bad players by any means, but rather guys that would struggle to make it on the field within the current United roster. There's not much point in taking a guy who is in his prime years and making some kind of commitment to him - even if that commitment is simply holding his MLS rights - if we're going to draft a player who is nearly as good at 22.

I suppose you can make the argument that all assets are good assets, but United would be holding players hostage to a certain extent with that mindset, and it's a) not a particularly ethical thing to do and b) not good business down the road. Players and agents know which teams engage in these kinds of scorched-earth policies, and they avoid them. Actually, it goes further than that: They also come to the bargaining table ready for war rather than an amicable discussion. Personally, I have always been pleased that United's history in these situations is built around being ethical and fair to players. This isn't Football Manager, after all; if you grab someone's rights, you're having an impact on their family and career.

Ultimately, it seems difficult to argue that today's non-action will have meaning for the 2015 season. However, don't be surprised to see some RED players get preseason training invites next month. That's right, friends: Preseason is just a bit over a month away.