Torsten Frings on his way out at Toronto FC?

Leaving camp is never a good sign. Everyone around Toronto FC was put on, ahem, “Red Alert,” when Torsten Frings flew away from the team’s preseason training in Florida to:

A) Attend to personal matters, or

B) Continue rehabilitating an injury that most people didn’t know existed

Either way, nothing should be too surprising considering the sea change now unfolding at BMO Field. New president Kevin Payne is wheeling and dealing. New manager Ryan Nelsen is scouring England for talent – and if we’re honest, it still seems to be in rather short supply for Toronto FC.

There was a reason we led with TFC in rolling out our MLS team previews, last teams first in order of predicted finish.

We may be closer to the truth today, as Duane Rollins from Canadian Soccer News drops this Twitter hammer:

Frings surely is a risk as a highly paid man of a certain age, and one who tends to be injury nicked. On the other hand, whoever finally lands on the roster – and there presumably will be a few players added … right? – will require leadership. Frings never shrank from the work. And he played wherever asked under two different managers.

He would seem to have ample value around Exhibition Place, if only until things become a little more settled in a year’s time.