State of the Roster: Where RSL stands in 2018

As we’ve gone through the offseason, Real Salt Lake has made a variety of very interesting moves that have given us a glimpse of what the 2018 roster will look like.

Here’s the latest ins and outs around the roster.

In

• Corey Baird joins as a homegrown player, and he’ll provide depth at forward.
• Shawn Barry spent seven years in Europe after playing at University of Virginia, but now he’s here. This feels an awful lot like 2008-2010 Real Salt Lake in some ways.
• Ricky Lopez-Espin was our sole draft pick, and we don’t know too much about him yet. He’s supposed to be a smart center forward. Are we transitioning to a two-forward system?
• Adam Henley joins after six months without a team following his release from Blackburn, and if he’s truly over his injuries, he could be a treat of a signing
• Aaron Herrera also joins as a homegrown player, and it’s easy to see him getting minutes at right back as things stand now.
• Alfredo Ortuño is our central striker for 2018, and I have huge expectations — and a lot of excitement — for his season.
• Taylor Peay provides depth along the back line after a season with Real Monarchs.

Uncertain

• Sunny missed the opening of training, and that raised the ire of one Michael Petke. Will he stick around in 2018? If he doesn’t, is RSL just waiting for a midfield signing so they can pull the trigger?
• Yura Movsisyan is still rumored to be on his way out, but there’s no rumbling on where he might go — there’s plenty of time, but if he’s going to move to Europe, the end of the month is sort of the deadline.

Rumored

• Cristobal Jorquera rumors kept popping up, but they look to have quieted down.
• Jesus Duenas rumors got really hot for a minute, but then they, too, have quieted down. Is RSL looking toward a summer signing?

Indeterminate

• Chad Barrett might be back as a player, but it sounds like he’ll definitely be back with The Horse, the Bear and the Lion, his podcast with David Horst. There’s certainly a good opportunity for him to take a Chris Schuler-like approach to his recovery, maybe playing with Real Monarchs.
• Reagan Dunk is likely gone, but could he land somewhere like Real Monarchs? It’s looking unlikely.
• Justin Schmidt had his option declined, and it’s difficult to say whether he’ll get a place on RSL’s roster in 2018, even as a backup
• Chris Wingert might have retired, hence all the skiing he’s been posting on the internet. We’ll see.

Out (training with other clubs)

• Chris Schuler had his option declined, and it’s really, really hard to see a way back for him. He’s been training with Orlando City SC.

Out (new club)

• Matt VanOekel is joining USL side OKC Energy FC
• Ricardo Velazco has joined El Salvadorian club Metapan
• Omar Holness, no longer a Generation Adidas player, joined USL side Bethlehem Steel FC.