Sockers Waiting for Wright Moment

With five openings on his roster, Sockers Coach Ron Newman hoped the Paul Wright situation would be cleared up today--and he could get on with the business of allocating the approximately $150,000 left under the club’s salary cap.

He’ll have to wait, and so will Wright, who learned Wednesday that an expected arbitration hearing once again was put off until next week.

“Next Friday,” Wright said, “and a decision will be made right away. That much I do know.”

Wright was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Blast in June during the Sockers’ ownership transition. The two parties almost immediately were at odds and Wright eventually filed for free agency when the Blast told him it would not fulfill completely the financial arrangements in his contract.

“This is unbelievable. This is outrageous,” Newman said of the delay. “This is really going to throw us off. It’s going to put more and more pressure on me (to fill the roster). It’s just what we don’t need.”

If Wright is available, he’ll become Newman’s primary acquisition target. The club, then, would be wary of budging from its offer of $40,000 to midfielder Brian Quinn.

Quinn earned $62,000 last year but since has signed with the U.S. national team. Quinn, the architect of the Sockers’ offense, said he will moonlight and play in 83% of the Sockers’ 40 games (33) for $49,800 (83% of the highest allowed salary of $60,000).

So far, neither side has offered to compromise.

If Wright does not become available, Newman would become more aggressive in pursuing both Quinn and free agent Godfrey Ingram, who was St. Louis’ third-leading goal-scorer with 39 last year.

In this same instance, Newman would have an easier time filling the roster with veteran role players such as defender Arturo Velazco, defensive runner Jacques Ladouceur or midfielder Jim Gabarra (all of whom can command salaries in the mid-$20,000 range) instead of with minimum-salary rookies.

“I have a few different scenarios I’m looking at,” Newman said. Problem is, all hinge on what happens to Wright.

And time is running out. The Sockers open in Dallas two weeks from tonight.