MLS Mock Expansion Draft 2011, Fourth Round: Montreal Impact Select Dax McCarty (New York Red Bulls)

With their fourth pick in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft, the (fake) Montreal Impact select:

Kevin's explanation: Is there some insider secret that I don't know about Dax McCarty? He was left unprotected last year to the outrage of many MLS fans. Portland picked him, then traded him to D.C. United. He didn't really work out with the Black and Red, so they traded him to the New York Red Bulls. Once there, he sat behind an inferior player in Rafael Marquez. Sorry, Cules and fans of El Tri, but it's true at the moment. McCarty is a rock solid player who continues to struggle to find a home. Why?

*SPOILER ALERT* At $155,000 per year, McCarty is the most expensive player that I will be selecting for the Impact in this expansion draft. I expect the real Impact to keep it cheap during their expansion draft, but I couldn't pass up the best unprotected player on a reasonable salary. Most of the picks in this draft are combined financial and footballing decisions, even leaning towards financial. This is purely a footballing decision. Dax McCarty is the best footballer available for selection, period.

Analysis from Drew Epperley: This one is kind of funny since it happened last year but we've seen that before in expansion drafts (Shea Salines anyone?). I covered Dax in Dallas for a couple years and really there is no insider secret about the guy. He's a quality player that has just become expendable for different clubs. He's that great bargaining chip for teams. Hopefully Montreal takes him and big part of their team.