The Houston Dynamo may not have picked up anyone in the second stage of the re-entry draft Wednesday, but they were not completely silent, either.
It was a big week for moves around Major League Soccer, that's for sure. Justin Morrow and Dwayne De Rosario ended up in Toronto, Brandon Barklage is in San Jose, Eddie Johnson and Fabian Espindola are in D.C., and big names such as Carlos Ruiz, Brian Mullan, Joel Lindpere, and David Ferriera are all now free agents.
Just because the Houston Dynamo didn't find themselves in the hunt for a big name doesn't mean they had an eventless week, however. On Tuesday, the Dynamo sent their fourth round pick in next year's Superdraft to the Portland Timbers in exchange for the rights to Re-entry Draft eligible centerback David Horst. Saturday morning, Dynamo GM Chris Canetti confirmed that the Dynamo had successfully signed Horst to a deal, meaning that he basically replaces the now departed Bobby Boswell.
Per league norms, the specifics of Horst's contract are not known, though we may find out more in the coming days. Still, I don't expect this to be the end of the Dynamo's moves for the offseason. We got one of the needs we had, but with Boswell's departure, it would probably be in the club's best interest to find another defender, whether that be through the Superdraft or another process. Also, the Dynamo are probably still looking for a forward or two to compliment Will Bruin.
It may not happen right away, but I would expect to see a few more moves from this front office. It's pretty clear what pieces they need, and it's also fairly clear that they're only a few pieces from where they want to be. So stay tuned - the offseason ride continues, even over the Christmas holidays.