Mid-season madness has officially started for the Colorado Rapids, less than a week before the MLS secondary transfer window opens.

The Rapids announced they waived 26-year-old winger Kévin Cabral on Friday, leaving a Designated Player slot open on the roster amid a turbulent 2025 campaign.

The Frenchman had fallen out of favor over the course of the year, going from a regular starter to benchwarmer before being left off the team sheet altogether for the past two matches.

Since signing with the Rapids ahead of the 2023 season, he scored seven goals and provided four assists in 68 regular-season games. In 770 minutes across 18 matches this year, he didn’t record a goal or an assist.

According to the MLS Players’ Association’s spring salary report last month, Cabral was the highest-compensated player on the team by a wide margin at $2.1 million for 2025. Half of his wages, however, have been paid by his former team, the L.A. Galaxy.

He seemed to have gotten through some confidence issues from 2023 with a mini-breakout halfway through last season. While he didn’t necessarily contribute to goals directly, he looked noticeably more comfortable within Chris Armas’ system. The goals eventually did come in July of 2024, when he scored twice and notched an assist in a three-game span.

That came to a halt against his former club that month when he barreled into a metal rod beneath the net while scoring a goal. He finished the last few minutes of that half, but required surgery for a compound elbow fracture and dislocation on his right arm. He didn’t return until the final regular-season match.

Nothing really clicked in 2025, no matter how long Armas tried keeping Cabral in the mix. His final appearance as a Rapid was a 15-minute substitute appearance last month against the Galaxy.

With the transfer window looming, the Rapids have some intriguing moves to consider. A DP slot is open, so they could theoretically bring in a splash signing to supplement the salary and talent hole in Cabral’s place on the wing.

New this season, MLS clubs have the option to go with a traditional three-DP, three-U-22 model, or switch to a two-DP, four-U-22 makeup. After Cabral’s departure, those players are as follows:

Designated players (2): Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic, forward Rafael Navarro

U-22 Initiative players (3): Winger Ted Ku-DiPietro, midfielders Cole Bassett and Josh Atencio

What appears more likely is a switch to a fourth U-22 Initiative player, especially with declared interest for 22-year-old Colombian midfielder and winger Alexis Manyoma.

Ahead of the transfer window, there’s also a Chidozie Awaziem-sized hole to fill with FC Nantes currently finalizing a deal to bring the Nigerian back to the French club. He joined the Rapids’ back line during the offseason and was their best defender this year.

Beaudry loaned to Switchbacks

The club also announced on Friday that 19-year-old Homegrown goalkeeper Adam Beaudry has been loaned to the defending USL Championship title winners Colorado Springs Switchbacks for the remainder of this season. As part of the deal, the club retains the right to recall Beaudry at any time.

The move should provide more playing time for the young star at a higher level than Rapids 2, where he recorded three clean sheets in nine matches this year.

Beaudry, the presumed backup to Zack Steffen at the first-team level, suffered an ankle injury around the same time as Steffen was sidelined. That left third-string Nico Hansen with the job. Hansen crushed the opportunity and earned the right to backup duty once Steffen returned.

The Castle Pines native has starred in numerous camps and tournaments with the U.S. Youth National Team, including starts in the 2023 U-17 World Cup and the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championships. He got his first MLS start on Decision Day last year in a loss to Austin.