Mighty struggles yield mental toughness. Why the Houston Dynamo are poised to bounce back.

From my talks with Seth Trout and Wilson Calvert who are both very knowledgeable about the salary budgets within Major League Soccer it appears the answer is pretty simple. Nothing. Maybe a trade, but one which doesn't really help in the here and now.

Perhaps you are confused how a club in Major League Soccer could be hamstrung by contracts, when other teams are spending significantly above and beyond the total salaries of the entire Dynamo roster? It comes down to guaranteed contracts and designated players.

Other clubs have been able to work the salary budget by utilizing the Designated Player slots to name grab, whether it has been an Italian like Marco Di Vaio or a Frenchman like Thierry Henry. Some clubs took a different route and used a DP slot on a known commodity like Omar Gonzalez. The Dynamo elected to use their slots on Boniek Garcia, who is struggling this season, and Alexander Lopez who has seen the field three times this season.

Were either of those bad moves by the team? Not really, no. Boniek is considered, even while struggling, to be a top MLS talent. Alexander Lopez hasn't seen the pitch for a multitude of reasons, but namely his problems tracking back on defense. Author's Note: the few times I have seen Lopez play, he has looked pretty solid tracking back. He may not be the best at it, but he is more than sufficient. Both have ample talent, and neither make more than the designated player minimums for their ages. Neither, really, would be Designated Players if not for their transfer fees.

Which brings me to the real question: Are we stuck this season?

Yes. We have to let the team ride this season out as-is, because at the end of this season a good quantity of those guaranteed contracts go away. We also free up some space by simply not re-signing guys. What this means is the Dynamo will have ample space to work with, and Chris Canetti has already made it clear big changes are in store for the offseason.

If there is one thing I believe in with this organization it is the Front Office and it is Chris Canetti. The guy works tirelessly, and after speaking with him individually and over various channels of communication he has proved he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Some would say we've been on this decline for a while, but if we look at all of MLS, you begin to see other clubs in our boots with the same issues.

Get ready folks, this offseason is going to be a wild ride.

Later this week you'll have an opportunity to tell us who you think should stay and who should go, and who you'd use your money on. So stay tuned!