Sporting KC to sign free-agent midfielder Rodriguez after impressive tryout | sources

Heading into 2024, Sporting KC’s roster is largely set — at least at the top of the depth chart.

But there were some concerns about the depth of the midfield, which Sporting KC addressed on Thursday.

According to multiple sources, Sporting KC is signing MLS free-agent midfielder Memo Rodriguez. Sources indicated the contract to be for 2024, with a club option for 2025. The club is expected to announce the deal on Thursday.

Rodriguez, 28, started his career with the Houston Dynamo, signing a home-grown contract in 2014. After spending two years on loan, he became part of the Dynamo’s squad, making 136 appearances and scoring 17 goals. He was a member of Houston’s U.S. Open Cup-winning squad in 2018.

Over his career, Rodriguez has made 157 appearances in MLS with 18 goals and 10 assists.

In 2023, he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Galaxy before being traded to Austin FC in August. Rodriguez declined his contract option at the end of the year.

Rodriguez joined Sporting as a trialist starting in the second week of preseason camp and instantly made an impression on Peter Vermes.

After Sporting’s 3-3 draw with Charlotte FC last week, Vermes praised Rodriguez’s efforts. The free-agent midfielder had earned a long run with the second group of players, and he impressed Vermes with his quick acclimation to the team.

“He’s already shown really quickly that he has a lot of quality for this league because of his experience,” Vermes told reporters last week. “I think he can play multiple positions. It was good for him today being in the team and getting a chance to see and feel a little bit about what it’s like to play with us. I thought he fit in well.”

Rodriguez originally came into MLS as a winger but moved more into the central midfield over his last three or four seasons. He is more of an attack-minded midfielder, which Vermes would most likely classify as a “No. 8” or “No. 10,” carrying out responsibilities similar to Erik Thommy and Gadi Kinda in the past.

Kinda’s departure this offseason left a hole among KC’s attacking-midfield depth. Thommy is more than capable of starting, scoring five goals and picking up 11 assists in 34 appearances in 2023. Rodriguez’s game is similar enough to provide depth in that spot.

Sporting KC likely is still looking at more midfield help at the top end of the depth chart. The departure of Roger Espinoza leaves a hole on the defensive side of the midfield, which would be why recent reported interest in Kellyn Acosta makes sense.

Sporting can take a big swing with that position, because the departing Kinda was a “designated player,” and thus much of his salary was exempt from the salary cap. So Sporting can look for a replacement who may command a larger salary.

Acosta — or a similar player — wouldn’t be an exact like-for-like positional replacement for Kinda, but Vermes previously said the club isn’t looking exclusively at “No. 10s.”

“There’s a lot of targets I would say we’ve gone through, and they all bring (something) a little bit different,” Vermes said. “Some of them are guys that are box-to-box guys that could give us a little different look.”

Regardless, Sporting certainly needed an extra player or two in the midfield before Thursday. While Vermes said the club wouldn’t “rush into something just for the sake of adding a guy,” losing a designated player did leave a hole in the midfield’s depth.

“It’s just about finding the right guy that fits into that group,” Vermes said, “and can add a little bit more to us.”