As busy as the Colorado Rapids front office has been this week, general manager Pádraig Smith knows there’s more work to be done on the club’s roster.

The club announced contract extensions for four key members of the 2021 squad – Jack Price, Danny Wilson, Keegan Rosenberry and Mark-Anthony Kaye – and the signing of Bryan Acosta on Wednesday. Thursday, Cole Bassett’s 18-month loan to Feyenoord Rotterdam with an option for the Dutch club to buy was finalized.

“We’re not done yet. There’s no doubt about that,” Smith said Wednesday. “We’ve been thrilled with the business we’ve been able to do so far.”

Smith went on to say the club may still sign more players to contract extensions, mentioning midfielder Nicolas Mezquida by name. The Rapids are also in the process of evaluating the three players selected in last week’s Major League Soccer SuperDraft at the team’s preseason training camp in Arizona.

“The draft went very well,” Smith said.

Colorado Rapids announce 4 contract extensions as Cole Bassett gets closer to move to Europe

“They’re going to have the opportunities to showcase their talents and try to earn those contracts.”

The contract extensions and additions of Acosta and Brazilian midfielder Max helped the Rapids take a step toward one of their primary goals this offseason, retaining most of the core group and finding suitable replacements for the few outgoing players. The group of attackers, however, hasn’t seen much action. That’s something Smith said will change between the current transfer window and the summer window.

“We continue our quest for the No. 9 position,” Smith said.

“We want to bring in more competition there. We’ve got the ability to do that and maybe bring in more than one at that position.”

After declining the option to buy Younes Namli, the only Designated Player on Colorado’s roster last season, the Rapids could significantly invest in a striker, Smith said. MLS clubs can have three designated players, whose salary and transfer fees exceed the maximum salary budget charge. That maximum salary was $612,500 last season. Using some Trade Allocation Money (TAM), another mechanism to bring salaries below the maximum, is another option.

While the Rapids have had success using a goal-scoring-by-committee approach, being eliminated in their first playoff game without scoring a goal in either match was admittedly troubling for Smith.

“There’s no doubt, and we are looking at a number of players who would come in as DPs at the 9 spot, and we’re also looking at players who would come in at the TAM level,” Smith said.

“We are looking to add in the attacking area, and what we are focused on doing is making sure we bring in the right player that is going to make this team and this club better. That is the critical factor here. We’ve got to get the right character, the right mentality, the right attributes that is going to come in and help the Colorado Rapids continue the success it’s had over the last number of years.”

Colorado Rapids trade Kellyn Acosta to LAFC

Talking Trusty

Defender Auston Trusty enjoyed a breakout campaign on the back line last season, and he earned an invite to the United States Men’s National Team’s January camp as a result.

After starting all 33 of Colorado’s matches last season, the athletic 6-foot-3 defender is drawing interest from European clubs. While Smith said he hoped Trusty would be with the Rapids to start the MLS season, he also maintained the club’s strategy of developing young talents and moving them on to Europe when the time was right. Trusty’s situation will be no different.

“There’s certainly a lot of interest in Auston. He is obviously away with the national team at the moment, but I certainly would hope he would be with us through this window. He’s going to be a big part of our Champions League group,” Smith said.

“We’ll have to see where it goes. As with all these young players, if the right offer comes along, we’ll have to evaluate it along with them and see if it makes sense for all parties at that time.”

Next Pro a positive for Smith

In previous seasons the Rapids would send some of their promising young players on loan to earn valuable playing time at lower levels, mostly United Soccer League clubs. Smith guessed the club had 10 players out on loan last season, most to Colorado Springs Switchbacks, while others went to San Antonio and San Diego.

The creation of MLS Next Pro will change that. The Rapids and Colorado Springs Switchbacks saw their affiliation agreement end as the MLS club announced a Rapids reserve team would participate in Next Pro’s first season in 2022. The benefit, Smith said, is players being able to move between training with the first team and reserve side without having to travel.

“Playing within our structure and within our system here with the Rapids is something we are incredibly excited about,” Smith said. “I think we’ve got some of the top young talent in the country in this group. I’m excited to see them all playing together.”

Colorado Rapids bolster midfield by signing Max to 4-year contract

Two of those players, Darren Yapi and Dantouma ‘Yaya’ Toure, trained with European clubs this offseason after spending much of the 2021 season with the Switchbacks. Smith believes they will be better served by the creation of a new developmental league under the MLS umbrella.

“Really excited about that, I genuinely am,” Smith said.