Sigi Schmid is calling this the most eventful offseason in the history of Major League Soccer. If the actions of the Seattle Sounders are to be counted, so far he is making good on the prediction.

Schmid also said that it will likely be a very challenging year for the Sounders overall. They will be playing with many new players and the entire league seems to be leaning on newer, fresher options all around. He said, “What you’re going to see with a lot of teams is it’s going to be a group of players supported by a lot of young players underneath.” And while he spoke of the change for the league across the board, he also admitted that the Sounders will be experiencing the exact same transition.

Yesterday we found out that a lot of players—including longtime player Leo Gonzalez, Michael Azira, Andres Correa, Troy Perkins, Thomas and Chad Barrett—were cut from the team for the next season. Zach Scott was also a Sounder from the get-go. The contracts of Marco Pappa and Gonzalo Pineda were both declines as well. Nine contracts were declined altogether. While we heard the what, we had yet to understand all of the whys just yet. Schmid and Lagerwey both explained the changes in further depth today.

When general manager Garth Lagerwey said that the team is an old one that needs to get younger, he must have meant dramatically so. Pappa was a contender for Goal of the Year and most of the men who were cut had some strong skills. While Lagerwey said that Pappa and Gonzalez were owed a tip of the cap for remaining loyal players to the team for so long, he did go on to talk about why the changes were necessary. He also said that Pappa may return to the team, but negotiations for his salary are still in progress.

The main focus with the roster changes, Lagerwey said, was to really make sure that the core of the team’s development and focus remains strong and established while it still gets invigorated with fresh blood. He also admitted that there will be plenty of “bumps along the way,” and that the entire endeavor is a “work in progress.” Fans should follow SSI Soccer to keep up with further roster changes.

Lamar Neagle is already in trade talks and may be picked up by DC United in exchange for allocation money for the Sounders.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia