MLS Microwave: Velasco, Ferreira, Arriola

MLS Free Agency opened on Thursday, but that didn’t stop the rumor mill from getting cranked up early. Major League Baseball has its Hot Stove, a testament to the traditional longer process we get on seeing rumors baked into facts.

Whereas MLS’ stories are more like a microwave. They come hot and heavy in short bursts, just like a microwave cooks food. Hence the invention of the MLS Microwave, a catch all column that deals less with major stories and more with the quick hit stuff lacking details or long form implications. Today’s edition: a contract extension and updates to two possible trades.

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Alan Velasco signs contract extension

The last two winters have been replete with speculation that Dallas’ Argentine dynamo would end up back in his home country. Several clubs in Argentina were rumored to be interested, including historic Boca Juniors.

All that was put to rest Thursday, as FC Dallas announced Velasco had signed a four year Young Designated Player contract with a club option for 2029. The release also notes Velasco has a Green Card, meaning he won’t require an international slot.

It’s a big win for Dallas no matter how you slice it. Either Velasco remains in Dallas with his enormous talents while his development continues, or the long term nature of the deal forces an interested party into a higher fee. The actual outcome is likely a combination of both. Velasco’s return from an ACL tear in late 2024 inspired hope, but it’ll be 2025 that shows his current status.

Regardless of the long term, the short term looks to be that new coach Eric Quill wants to build his squad around Velasco and striker Petar Musa up top. That’s because of…

Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola trade rumors with Seattle Sounders

Strap in, because this pair of stories have a decent amount of twists and turns.

Tuesday night Sounder at Heart’s Niko Moreno reported that the Sounders were in “advanced talks” to acquire forward Jesus Ferreira. The deal was contingent on Ferreira signing a contract extension with Seattle. More on that later.

The very next day GiveMeSport’s Tom Bogert dropped news that Seattle was also close to acquiring Dallas winger Paul Arriola. Per that report, Dallas would retain some of Arriola’s cap hit for 2025 to facilitate the deal. Specifically per SAH’s Jeremiah Oshan, Dallas would cover at least a million dollars.

After those initial rumors went wide, the mill went quiet. Oshan posted on Bluesky (skeeted? what term are we using for this?) a big reason why:

Former FC Dallas data analyst and Backheeled.com contributor Arman Kafai followed up Oshan’s post with more specific numbers about the duo:

This is a good place to note that Arman did a fantastic thread around the finances of these two moves and why Dallas is making them. I won’t detail it here because that’s not the purpose of this post, but do give it a read as it explains well the financial implications of this deal.

When/if both deals happen, I’ll have individual posts about both since they’ll represent huge changes to Dallas’ status quo. What we can reasonably assume now is that what Quill wants his team to be and what it currently is aren’t in line. Be it Ferreira and Arriola don’t fit his game model, Dallas needs the resources to fix other parts of the squad, or some combination of both.

One thing seems certain: If you’re looking for a busy off-season from FC Dallas, you’re getting your wish. The front office and coach seem in lockstep that changes are necessary, and it’s not just small stuff. They’re leaving no stone unturned, and at minimum the effort is to be respected.

Post Quill hire, most of the analysis was the front office’s need to equip their gaffer with the proper parts. Extending Velasco while making moves to potentially clearly their highest salaries means Andre Zanotta and company aren’t messing around. There will be plenty of time for specifics, but early return are promising.

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