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Sandy • Given the chance to explain one side of the trade or the other, Craig Waibel circled back to finish off each comment in similar fashion. Hours after completing a deal to trade the club's all-time leading scorer, Alvaro Saborio, the temperamental Costa Rican who became one of the league's most consistent scoring threats since arriving to Major League Soccer in 2010, one thing became increasingly clear.

RSL is not done. Perhaps not by a long shot if you read or listen to Waibel's explanations.

By dealing Saborio to D.C. United in exchange for 26-year-old midfielder Luis Silva, RSL created flexibility where it previously had none. Waibel told the Tribune before Tuesday's win over the L.A. Galaxy in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals that prior to the Saborio move, RSL had zero allocation money, which, at the time was "really the key to the handcuffs."

Now by moving Saborio's contract, hovering around $450,000, in exchange for that of Silva's, at around $150,000, Waibel and RSL have added maneuverability to add another piece during the open summer transfer window. Couple that with the newly-injected "targeted allocation money," the club could be players to add another Designated Player if it is able to "buy down" any of its three DPs in Kyle Beckerman, Joao Plata or Sebastian Jaime.

(Side note: The Galaxy were the first team to effectively utilize the new injection of targeted allocation money this week by "buying down" former DP Omar Gonzalez and bringing in Mexican star Giovani Dos Santos.)

"This inevitably gives us an opportunity to not only get Luis Silva through this trade, but it opens up some cap space to make another move and we'll surely be looking to do that," Waibel said at a press conference Thursday. "We can add talent now that will be with us for years to come.

"I think we'll look to add more attacking pieces," he later added. "Luis is one of those attacking pieces."

Waibel said the club has as list of target players that currently range anywhere from 23 to 29 years old. RSL coach Jeff Cassar said there are "a few different areas" the club is exploring in terms of adding onto.

"We have options out there, we are pursuing them hard and fast," Cassar said. "Craig's doing a great job of doing that. … We're ready to make some moves, but we want to make sure it's the right one for our team."

Waibel told the Tribune Thursday morning the move will allow RSL to "pursue another player of significant interest."

Who will that player be? As he hinted, it will likely be a striker to help round out RSL's forward corps with the departure of the all-time leading scorer. The club has until Aug. 6 to strike a deal — or deals — for any new additions.

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The addition of Luis Silva » What elements can Luis Silva provide at RSL? When he's healthy, he's considered one of the more well-rounded attacking options the league has to offer. But he's been anything but healthy in 2015. After a breakout season in 2014 in which he scored 11 goals in 22 starts, Silva's season this year has been riddled with injury and set-backs.

Cassar confirmed Thursday after the deal was finalized that Silva is doubtful for Saturday's match against the Houston Dynamo. Silva scored just one goal in 14 games through the first five months of the season with D.C. United.

"It's something that we definitely looked into," Cassar said of Silva's injuries. "We have a great training staff and strength and conditioning staff and there are some issues, but not a lot of major injuries, little nagging injuries which can hopefully be corrected through proper treatments and maybe strengthening."

Silva told Cassar by phone Thursday that he's feeling 85 to 90 percent.

Cassar scouted Silva in college during his days at UC Santa Barbara where he played four years with the Gauchos.

"If you look at his career playing, even through college, he's been very versatile," Cassar said. "I spoke to him on the phone today and said, 'I scouted in you college and you were a defensive midfielder and a center back and a forward and an attacking midfielder all within the same year at Santa Barbara. So he's a very good soccer player on both sides of the ball and I think it's going to be a very nice addition to our team."

One wrinkle to the deal is Silva, like Saborio, is out of contract at the end of the season. I asked Waibel if there was any hesitation to include him in the deal knowing that Silva could bolt at the end of the year.

"We took that into consideration," he said. "Right now we feel like Luis could give us a little bit more of exactly what we need in the next four to five months to turn the ship. Luis is a great kid, he's a great competitor. I've already spoken to him. He's really excited to get here and do what's right for us. There wasn't really hesitation because this move is more than just one player. We've kind of addressed the ability to go get a second. In the end, it made sense for us to make this move and pick up a quality player now that we will have the potential to extend. A lot of that depends on Luis Silva's desire as well, but we're really looking forward to getting him here and then obviously having the ability to add another player is something that was really attractive."

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So long, Sabo » Alas, Alvaro Saborio's tenure at RSL is done after five-and-a-half years. The 33-year-old Costa Rican will go down as the most consistent goal-scoring threat in the club's history, notching 79 goals across all competition since joining the club in 2010. It wasn't always rosy with Saborio, either. Often reticent and moody, Saborio did not take well to certain coaching decisions over the years. Last year in Houston he walked off the pitch and into the locker room after being subbed off during RSL's 5-2 win.

Earlier this year, Saborio walked by Cassar without shaking his hand and screamed into his jersey after being taken off. And most recently, Saborio missing the June 21 game against Sporting Kansas City may have proven to be the final straw, although the RSL front office and staff have said the personal matter didn't play a large role in the trade.

"He's been very instrumental in what RSL is about," Cassar said. "It's not easy making these decisions."

Waibel told the Tribune on Thursday morning the incident didn't play a role in the deal.

"Emotion has to be kept out of long-term planning," he said. "What happens on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis is dealt with accordingly and professionally and then buried and that's exactly what happened. Sabo was extremely mature about that situation when I spoke with him. We dealt with it and we moved on. It just so happens that the timing of looks a little bit crazy, but I think it's fair to say that the timing of this move would've happened regardless of any other behavior."

As fate's would have it, RSL faces D.C. United in three weeks at RFK Stadium where it will likely see a starting forward duo of Saboro and Fabian Espindola.

Things change.

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani