Corey Ashe Speaks Out About Contract Talks

My esteemed collegaue Jordan Wise posted a transcript and some thoughts about Corey Ashe's comments last night of Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis. While you should definitely read Jordan's article, I think I need to offer my thoughts on this. Sure there might be some overlap, but this is worth discussing in my opinion.

Apparently Ashe and his agent were "a little disappointed" by the contract offer he received from the Dynamo, which really isn't all that surprising when it comes to contract negotiation. There is always some back and forth and if Ashe is to remain a part of this team, the two sides will have to find a common ground. 

Of course, the topic of Ashe staying in Houston could probably be debated for a bit and no doubt there will be some varying opinions. It could be argued that Ashe doesn't really bring anything more to the table that a player like Danny Cruz does, with the possible exception of being able to cover at fullback in a pinch. I'm certainly not trying to devalue Ashe but in order for a player to demand a higher salary they need to have something to bargain with, and in this case that would be performance. Has Ashe done enough to ask for a raise? I think so, but the trouble might come down to just how much he is asking for. In addition how much demand is there for Ashe within MLS or potentially from abroad?

We have no idea what kind of money Ashe is looking for, but the Dynamo have never been the type of organization to just recklessly overspend and no doubt they have their evaluation of Ashe and how much they are willing to pay him. The Dynamo will do what they feel is right both from a on-the-field perspective and from a financial perspective, but Ashe is playing with fire here.

Sure he may be saying that there is interest (and I expect another MLS team would sign him) but who really knows. More importantly, there is an expansion draft in less than a month and making waves about your contract negotiations in the media probably won't make Kinnear happy. If Ashe keeps talking and balking, you can expect him to be left unprotected in the draft to make room for another player.

Another interesting question, will this be the only case of a player making rumblings about his contract or is this just the beginning for the Dynamo this off season?

What do you think about Corey Ashe's comments? Should the Dynamo make an effort to sign him or just let him walk?