Re-Entry Draft Stage 2: Will the Portland Timbers Select Anybody?

Today the second round of the Re-Entry Draft kicks off at noon. It's an opportunity for clubs to pick up the right to players they might have passed on in the first round, which was pretty much everybody. The difference this time around, however, is that the contracts for said players can now be renegotiated whereas during the first round they were for contract extensions under a new club. This, obviously, means that more clubs will be active during this round as some of these players could actually still be worth something.

But what about the Portland Timbers? To be honest, it's a difficult guess given their most recent moves and rumors. Figuring out if any of these players make sense under Porter's reign is a challenging task. But that's not going to stop us from speculating.

Earlier this week we highlighted four players who could possibly go to the Timbers in round 1: Blair Gavin, Stephen King, Gonzalo Sergares, and Hunter Freeman. They ended up selecting nobody, and now only two of them remain for round 2. Additionally, Ike Opara, a player many had Portland selecting in round 2 was traded to Sporting Kansas City earlier this week so he's out. So who's left?

Here's our short list:

Danny Califf

Califf isn't worth his current contract. He's getting older at 32 and generally hasn't been as sharp as he was a few years ago. Still, for the current Portland Timbers backline he could be a solid veteran to help shape up a backline that's been ripe with amateurish mistakes since the Timbers inception in MLS in 2011. If the Portland Timbers were to select him, they'll get a proven centerback with MLS, European and international experience... something they've never had before.

Will Hesmer

Another aging player, but this time of the goalkeeping variety. In all honesty, this would be a pure financial move for the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts is expensive and inconsistent. Milos Kocic isn't quite proven in MLS though he did spend nearly an entire season as target practice for the league. Hesmer is a solid keeper who could be well worth the investment if they can unload Ricketts' lofty salary and bring his down.

Corben Bone

A former college standout turned disappointment in MLS, I'm not sure if Bone should be pushed out of the league yet. He has experience with the US U-20 squad from his earlier years, he's not terribly old at 24, and his college career is pretty decent. His only experience in MLS was with Chicago where he was given 17 appearances in 3 years after being selected 13th overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Also, his nickname is "Bonesaw" ... yeah.

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The sad truth is that this year's Re-Entry Draft is pretty sparse, especially for round 2 where some players might not want to renegotiate their salaries down. Still, there could be some diamonds in the rough here. We'll have to wait and see if the Portland Timbers pick anybody up.

Remember, if the Portland Timbers select anybody, it does not mean they're on the roster yet. They'll have 7 days to renegotiate a new contract with the player before being signed.

Who would you choose given the choice?