Atlanta United claim Bryan Rochez off waivers from Orlando City

Atlanta United announced on Friday night that they’ve claimed striker Bryan Rochez off waivers from Orlando City. He will join Atlanta and only count as a minimum reserve roster charge with Orlando paying the remainder. In 2016, it was reported that Rochez was paid $259,500. According to Paul Tenorio, Atlanta will only have to pay him $53,000 in 2017. He was signed in 2014 as a young designated player, but only scored three goals in 16 appearances.

While he didn’t live up to expectations for Orlando, he’s still just 22 years old and has represented the Honduras national team on six occasions. However, he does qualify as a domestic player according to the team’s press release. Rochez made his star with the Honduras U-20 team, helping them win the gold medal at the 2013 Central American Games.

Rochez will join the striker stable of Josef Martinez, Kenwyne Jones, and Brandon Vazquez. With both Martinez and Jones out on international duty, a back-up striker was always needed. Vazquez has not featured a ton for United in preseason, so Rochez could be a solid option if needed.

On the surface, this appears to be a very low-risk/high-reward type of move for the club. It’s one out of left field, but one that could pay huge dividends in the future.