Earlier this week, Orange in the Oven editors Hal Kaiser and Leopold Ponce graded the Houston Dynamo position-by-position based on the first third of the season. Today, they give their assessment of the outlook for the remainder of the season and play GM for a day.

As GM, Hal and Leopold talk about what moves they would make this summer to position the team to take a run at the MLS Cup in 2014. Then, they talk about what moves they might make between now and the start of next season to position the team to be successful in the medium term.

We can start by selling Tally Hall.

The lack of transparency inherent in Major League Soccer makes it difficult to assess the full impact of transactions under the budget cap framework, and some of the ideas our editors have may simply not work given those limitations. The best estimate we have is that the Dynamo have somewhere under $100,000 of spare cap for this season. That amount has to cover salary, bonuses and any transfer fees.

Hal and Leopold have done their best, however, to incorporate the reality of the Dynamo cap situation into their thinking.

CAN THE DYNAMO WIN MLS CUP WITH THEIR CURRENT ROSTER?

Leopold:

I strongly believe that this is a better roster than we had 2011-2013. Oscar Boniek Garcia, Giles Barnes, Brad Davis, and Ricardo Clark in the midfield should speak volumes of how great our starting 11 are. We have an inspired David Horst replacing a Bobby Boswell that had gotten complacent when wearing orange. Will Bruin already has 6 goals and we aren’t even midway through the season. If we got close those years, what’s keeping us from winning the MLS Cup this one?

The answer is actually quite simple, injuries. As long as we stay injury-free this is the best roster we’ve had so far, however, injuries are always plaguing Houston. If we can somehow field our dream starting 11, which involves Hall; Ashe, Horst, Brunner, Sarkodie; Davis, Boniek, Rico, Barnes; Bruin, Sherrod/Cummings, then we are one scary team to face.

Hal:

The starting XI is not perfect but it is generally good enough to compete with any other starting XI in MLS. What makes or breaks teams in MLS, however, is depth and this is where the Dynamo fall woefully short at the moment.

The Dynamo have struggled with injuries and suspensions (four red cards) this season. They were forced to play against DC United with a short bench. Injury to Mark Sherrod and a red card for Brian Ownby further exacerbated the Dynamo’s depth crisis.

The depth that the Dynamo were supposed to have in the midfield has all but disappeared. There is no depth at forward or at fullback. In fact, the only position on the field where the Dynamo appear to have plenty of options is at center back.

A lack of quality depth also translates into a lack of ability to adapt to what other teams are doing tactically. This becomes a significant issue when we can see teams consistently implementing the same tactical concepts to thwart the Dynamo, yet Dom Kinnear limited in what he can do to react.

Therefore, my answer is: no, the 2013 Houston Dynamo are not well positioned to win the MLS Cup.

Apr 27, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Dynamo forward Will Bruin (12) is defended by Portland Timbers defender/midfielder Michael Harrington (5) during the first half at BBVA Compass Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports

WHAT ROSTER MOVES WOULD YOU MAKE TO INCREASE THE CHANCE OF WINNING MLS CUP IN 2014?

Leopold:

We can trade or unload Jermaine Taylor for another forward. Even though Bruin has been scoring, he still has not convinced me and is very streaky. Bruin can go on a goal-scoring streak, then string together a few games in which he’s completely invisible. We need a proven forward. It’s impossible to win games without scoring.

If we acquire another forward, we can make Barnes’ move to the midfield permanent; thus adding extra danger and depth to that segment of the team. We will also have Cummings on the bench and capable of either filling in for a forward or playing in the midfield. Eric Brunner is bound to return soon, and Horst has been performing well. We also have A.J. Cochran that can fill a void in the defense if needed.

Hal:

My response lacks originality now as it effectively mirrors that of Leopold. That said, the status of Sherrod heavily impacts my thinking here and the current uncertainty around the severity of his injury makes it difficult to be definitive in a response.

I am a strong proponent of shifting to a tactical system that puts five players in the midfield to control play and possession in the heart of the pitch. Ideally, I think the Dynamo have the rough pieces to set out in a 4-2-3-1. The missing link, however, has been at forward. To be successful in this type of system, you need a strong targetman with decent technical skills and pace.

In his few appearances, Sherrod has shown that he can be that player. Bruin, on the other hand, is most definitely not. With Sherrod available and with question marks around the Dynamo ability to re-sign Bruin at the end of this season, I would look to capitalize on the current buzz around the league surrounding Bruin and try to deal him for a combination of depth on the flanks and allocation dollars.

With Bruin gone, I would then go bargain hunting in Europe and try to find another target man to use in rotation with Sherrod. Cummings would remain on the roster and be an option off the bench in the event that the Dynamo ever had a need to put on two forwards. Cummings speed makes him ideal to run off a target man.

I too would look to deal Taylor. The Dynamo have a surplus of center backs and Taylor is likely the only one who would bring value in a trade and who is non-core to the future of the team. Brunner and Cochran are both capable of holding down Taylor’s spot.

A deal for Taylor could bring back more allocation money and/or some depth.

In a 4-2-3-1, Ricardo Clark and either Warren Creavalle or Servando Carrasco would sit deep and protect the backline. Barnes could play in the central attacking midfielder role. With fewer defensive responsibilities, Alex Lopez would also become more of an option. The Dynamo would likely become a better all around team.

Apr 19, 2014; Chester, PA, USA; Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall (1) tracks the ball during the second half of the game against the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. The game ended in a 0-0 draw. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

WHAT ROSTER MOVES WOULD YOU MAKE BETWEEN NOW AND THE START OF NEXT SEASON TO POSITION FOR 2015 & BEYOND?

Leopold:

We can start by selling Tally Hall. If we can unload him, we will not only open up roster space, but we may also be able to get something in return. Tyler Deric is begging for playing time, and for anybody that has seen him in practices, he’s a great talent. Hall cannot distribute the ball, but Deric is acceptable at this.

Deric is also almost as good of a shot-stopper as Hall is. We already have Lisch getting minutes with the Riverhounds, so he can become our second goalkeeper. After that, we can easily draft another one from college. The United States is not lacking goalkeeping talent.

This space and money can be used to get a forward, and eventual replacements for Ricardo Clark and Brad Davis. Clark is already showing wear and tear. He has missed a number of games in the past two seasons due to concussions and other injuries. Age is bound to catch up to Davis sooner or later as well. We also need a proven goalscorer. If we can fill any of these needs then I would consider it a good off-season.

Our second move can involve cutting Alex Lopez if he hasn’t shown any promise by the end of this season. Eventually we need to cut our losses and consider him a failure. We cannot keep on dumping money into a player that we are either not going to use or is not worth his salary. This is another move that can open up space to address one of the previous needs I mentioned.

Hal:

Again I agree with Leopold. Deric is reaching the point where you either promote him or deal him. Moving Hall during the off-season would bring back value and open up cap space for other use. As good of a shot stopper as Hall is, his distribution puts the Dynamo under more pressure than fans realize.

Between now and the end of the season, the Dynamo also need to determine whether or not they can re-sign Kofi Sarkodie. If Sarkodie is intent on moving, which may well be the case, the Dynamo may as well look to transfer him now and get some value in return. It would mean having to find a replacement, but allowing Sarkodie to leave and get nothing in return would be a poor move.

Lopez is an obvious target to get shipped out. If he cannot get playing time and is not developing, then the Dynamo have far too much money tied up in him. They need to cut him loose in the off-season and move on.

Lastly, not a roster move but I think the Dynamo need to take the US Open Cup seriously this year. The impact of not having the Champions League allocation money is being felt this season. The surest way to get to Champions League is via the Open Cup.

CLOSING

There you have it, the views of our editors. What do you think? What moves should the Dynamo look to make?