Yousef Morales) will get more than $5 million per year according to the Associated Press (it’s still not quite certain how much they will pay him, though the team says that the team still has control and will look at an extension after August 7th). The second contract is from 2005, which will keep him with the club through this season. Both of these deals are with an overvalued player who is still fairly young (he only turns 28 in May), and the team will get the benefit of his contract length in the form of cap savings. Morales also has several team options that could potentially be taken up during this time (he’s not guaranteed to make Team USA roster for 2010 World Cup).

But there are significant trade considerations to consider. Morales still has an option for a new contract at season’s end, and there’s speculation that the team could bring him back in a trade during the off-season. Furthermore, that option is not guaranteed at the present time. If he gets traded, one of the key areas to watch will be Morales’ willingness to accept lesser than his current value. This may explain why the team is in talks with Dwayne De Rosario to replace Morales as a left back. It also gives the team another viable option in a left back position that could eventually be filled by Steven Birnbaum.

The bottom line is that while the team is under new ownership, they will have significant salary cap space in 2010, and that has some interesting trade value in the current market.