Busch Waiving Makes No Sense

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Crew is planning to waive goalkeeper Jon Busch. No reason was given in the article other than it's thought that the development of Andy Gruenebaum as a potential starter for this season has made Busch expendable.

I'm no longer on the inside at all with the Crew, so I don't know much about Gruenebaum nor his skill and leadership on the field (he's one of the few keepers in MLS who DIDN'T see time in goal for the Crew last season as I remember). And Jon Busch's knee situation is a bit scary, as he's had two ACL injuries in two seasons.

But I think waiving Busch is the wrong move. Busch is one of the primary leaders on the field - his on-field communication is great, and with the experience he's gained at multiple levels of professional play, he'd be an asset back there if he was in a wheelchair. He takes heat due to his size, but he plays so well positionally that his size hasn't ever been a factor.

The other two keepers with the team right now, Bill Gaudette and Will Hesmer, aren't the quality backups that we could need if we have another injury-plagued season like last season. Gaudette is a fair keeper. He's better than all the keepers we saw last season (except Busch), but that's not saying a lot. Hesmer is untested.

If Sigi has some big signing in the works that makes Busch's services unnecessary, then yes, this move is good. But until we hear more, I don't see this as a positive change.