Crew To Make DP Signing?

Various reports have the Columbus Crew about to ink a deal with Boca Juniors winger Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The Argentinian, about to turn 34 years old, has lost his starting spot with his domestic side and has said in the past he would like to go to another team where he could see more time on the pitch. MLS Underground reports that the deal would be for two years with a salary of $1-2 million/year. I'm not sure how that fits into Designated Player rules, which state that a DP contract must be for 1, 3, or 5 years, but it could be a 1-year contract with an option for another year.

TJ's take: Columbus finally makes a move into the DP market. Not sure if this one will pay off, but if it's only a one-year contract, I don't think it could hurt. I don't know much about Guillermo, but at 34, I'm not sure how much he's got left in his tank (in contrast to Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who still has a starting spot for Club America at 34), but if it's a flop, it's only for this year.

It must be much harder to convince a "name" player to come to Columbus as the city doesn't quite have the allure of maybe a New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. This could become a problem in a few years time if the big names are only willing to flock to the three major cities, as the rest of the league could be left wading through a lower tier of players if they want to use a DP.