Andy Iro and forward Peri Marosevic have been released by Toronto FC.
Iro’s release has been rumoured for weeks now, with the big defender already on trial in England. Marosevic comes as more of a surprise, but he was a bubble player that was brought in for what was in reality an extended trial at the end of 2011.
Although we will never know what the offer was, it would seem likely that both players were offered a new contract around the league minimum.
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In 2011 Marosevic had a guaranteed contract that paid him about $129,000 as a Generation adidas player. Iro made about $87,000. Both would have likely made half of that in 2012 if they had stayed in Toronto.
Iro’s weaknesses are well documented and it’s unlikely that he’ll be overly missed. Marosevic seemed to have some potential, but certainly not at a salary close to what he received.
The Marosevic situation speaks to a rarely articulated problem with drafting GA players. Although you do save on the cap hit for the duration of their time in the program, they are often paid much higher than other players in the league their age. Still young, they might take longer to fully develop as pro players. In those circumstances, it becomes hard to keep them around.
Few people would be willing to take a 50 per cent pay cut.
If you take a non-GA in the draft you will need to count him on the cap, but you’ll get the player at a salary around $40,000. That allows you to take a longer view with the player.