This article is a Letter to the Editor from Season Ticket Member and friend Eric Stinson. His words and views do not necessarily reflect those of Burgundy Wave and its staff.
Letter to the Editor – We are several days removed from the woeful end to the 2026 Colorado Rapids season. As a 16-year Season Ticket Member, I’ve had the privilege to cheer us on to our MLS Cup victory in 2010. I’ve also had the regret to live through the 2023 season that was seen as the worst season in club history. For me, 2026 had some positive moments, but also gave me lots of frustration. As I ponder our future, I cannot say with certainty that better days are ahead. That uncertainty must fall at the feet of the Front Office, specifically Josh Kroenke, Kevin Demoff, Pádraig Smith, Fran Taylor. And of course, there will be greater expectations on Head Coach Matt Wells in his second year in 2027.
If you have been a fan of the Rapids for any length of time, you are acutely aware of the spending habits of the club. The Rapids are not, nor have they ever been the biggest spenders in MLS. They have regularly been in the bottom third of MLS in net spend. They have spent more outright since 2024, but that has come with bigger sales. The amount of money ownership puts into the club continues to underwhelm fans and limit the potential to win trophies.
Now, you don’t have to be the biggest spenders in the league to be successful, although it’s been a precursor to success in the current era. This season, Nashville SC won the Supporters Shield, while fielding a median payroll, with over $17 million in salary based in the spring salary numbers. The defending MLS Cup Champions Inter Miami sport a payroll of a whopping $54 million, with $25 million alone is tied up in Lionel Messi. The argument is not necessarily that you cannot win unless you spend, it’s how are you spending your money that matters.
So how are we spending our money? Our highest salaried players are Paxten Aaronson at $2.2 million, based on the spring 2026 MLSPA’s release. Rob Holding is at $1.2 million and Zack Steffen at $1.1 million. It is worth noting that former Rapid Rafael Navarro was sold to St. Louis CITY SC for $12 million, and was making $1.4 million.
One would assume Morgan Whittaker, the new second Designated Player on the team is on high wages. Aaronson, Whittaker, Holding, and Steffen. Four players that probably account for about half the team’s wages. What did we get for that production? Aaronson had 8 goals and 8 assists. A solid year, but hardly MLS Best XI. Whittaker has 6 goals, despite coming on during the summer transfer window, and is the best of the new arrivals. Holding had a very frustrating season, including multiple red cards. Steffen suffered a season ending shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Rafael Navarro finished the regular season with 19 goals, 8 assists, good for 5th in the Golden Boot race. He had one fewer goal contribution with St. Louis in 10 fewer games.
Sufficient to say, we did not get the most of our biggest salaries. The Rapids scored 47 goals this season, with Aaronson, Whittaker, Rafa Navarro, and Darren Yapi accounting for 28 out of 47. We yet again conceded more goals than we scored, with 50 goals against. I don’t wish to be overly critical of the squad, but it is worth noting that in 2025, we scored 44 goals for and 55 goals against. Well’s game model improved things in this regard. More improvement is needed in 2027.
Which brings me back to spending. Yes, it could be a lot worse, looking at you, Montreal Impact and the Joey Saputo family. The Saputo family has an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion to the Kroenke family’s $27 million. Our ownership refuses to put in money that it has into the Rapids to give them a chance to contend for trophies. This is in contrast to how they spend with their other teams. The Denver Nuggets payroll sits north of $200 million and has been an NBA Championship contender, while carrying a $50 million luxury tax due to the soft cap in the NBA. Both the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Rams spend the limits of their league hard salary caps. The Ramps have a $233.6 million cap spending with $15.6 million in dead money. Kroenke’s other crown jewel, Arsenal FC has a squad spending of over $265 million. All of the other teams in the KSE portfolio spend big comparatively within their own leagues. All have competed for trophies. The Rapids are none of that.
When you’re a budget MLS team, every investment has to lead to meaningful production on the pitch. For the last decade, Smith’s strategy has been looking for value not names. It’s led to mixed results with a number of flops. This year, it’s fair to say that selling Navarro hurt our chances of making the playoffs, which is the minimum goal.
Cue my eye rolling at the notion that your team goal is to be among the 60% of the league that qualifies for the playoffs.
Aaronson is solid. But his predecessor, Djordje Mihailović was much more prolific. But he didn’t want to be here long term. Smith couldn’t convince him to stay. Not a great result for someone looking for a contract renewal himself when you sell talent and don’t replace it fully. Then there’s selling Navarro and spending $6 million to replace him with Sayed Abu Farkhi, a 20-year-old from the Israeli Premier League. He was playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, one of the best teams in that league.
The last player from Israel to play in MLS and make any kind of meaningful contribution was attacking fielder, the late Gadi Kinda, who had 14 goals in 66 appearances for Sporting Kansas City. Meanwhile SAF (as Farkhi is known in the local press) has yet to make any genuine impact to the Rapids. Then there were his two red cards, one for Colorado and another for his goal celebration with the Israeli National Team. For a U-22 signing that cost $6 million to replace one of the best goal scorers in MLS, not good enough.
Navarro was sold reportedly as a reaction to contract negotiations breaking down. St. Louis offered a transfer fee the FO could not pass up. Throw in the sale of Lucas Herrington to Hull City for $17 million, and the Rapids have more budget flexibility than they could ever dream of.
Where does this leave us? There’s changes to make this offseason. Recent history suggests we will be looking for value signings. We have a Head Coach in Matt Wells looking to make the playoffs and win a trophy. We have a President in Smith who’s out of contract.
In order to give Wells every opportunity to prove his system works, we will have to upgrade the roster. If we are to believe Demoff, KSE President of Team and Media Operations, both Smith and Taylor were to be evaluated over this season. However, failing to make the playoffs for the second straight year, despite all of the sales and investment in the club cannot be seen as a net positive. If Demoff is to have any credibility, he must not renew the contracts of Smith and others. The club needs another figure head, one that has proven and consistent success within a structure that spends less and expects more. Smith clearly has demonstrated he cannot do it, having only made the playoffs four times since 2016.
It is long past time that Josh Kroenke discovers a caring bone in his body for the Colorado Rapids and get serious about both spending on this club. It’s time to show leadership, directly or through Kevin Demoff as a proxy. This wayward franchise needs to be turned around to keep up with a changing MLS. With the new MLS Commissioner Larry Berg set to take over, it is widely reported that the league will revamp the salary and spending rules. This should force force the hand of KSE to either invest in the club or sell. Otherwise, it’s more of the same: Mediocrity. You get out what you put in.
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