The Expansion Draft is set for Tuesday afternoon, and several bigger names could be on the move to one of the league’s two newest teams, Atlanta United and Minnesota United.
MLS announced the list of unprotected players on Monday afternoon, offering a picture of what will be available come draft time. There are plenty of veteran options, players that could be invaluable to a pair of new teams. There’s a wealth of young talent, featuring plenty of options that could benefit from a change in scenery. Finally, there are several options that come with major risk while offering a massive reward should things go to plan.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most intriguing prospect left unprotected by each team ahead of Tuesday’s draft:
CHICAGO FIRE
Given their record, it’s pretty fair to say the Fire don’t offer much to choose from. Player-wise, the Fire remain a mess, and are firmly in the midst of a rebuilding project of their own. Given how short the draft is this time around, it’s fairly unlikely a Fire player gets nabbed, but if one is to be selected, it would likely be either Eric Gehrig or Razvan Cocis, two veterans who could play decent minutes for an expansion side.
COLORADO RAPIDS
Both expansion sides are in need of central defenders, and Jared Watts is among the best available in Tuesday’s draft. The 24-year-old started 18 matches for the best defense in MLS and, at just $68,000 in 2016, Watts offers a very manageable salary for, at best, a young starter and, at worst, a very good rotation option.
COLUMBUS CREW
The most interesting name is Gaston Sauro, who could be a natural fit for a certain Argentinian boss at Atlanta United. Martino could certainly add his fellow countryman, although the defender comes at a steep price of $585,000. In addition, there could be a back-room deal stemming from the Michael Parkhurst trade that could see the new club promise not to take a Crew player. Are there better options? Probably, but Sauro could be an intriguing fit, especially in Atlanta.
D.C. UNITED
Kofi Opare has long been on the fringe of a starting gig with D.C. United but couldn’t quite beat out veteran Bobby Boswell and U.S. Men’s National Team regular Steven Birnbaum. No shame in that. Still, Opare is a solid young defender with a reasonable cap hit, making him a likely target on Tuesday.
FC DALLAS
If he’s healthy, Zach Loyd would certainly be a welcome addition to most MLS teams. However, the FC Dallas defender missed major time with concussion issues, which is, for lack of a better word, scary. Teams have taken flyers in this draft before and, if Lloyd is cleared to return, the 29-year-old could be a a very solid piece of a new defensive backbone.
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Of the 20 teams, the Dynamo are among the most interesting. DaMarcus Beasley and David Horst are free agents and, despite their advancing age, both would be solid pickups for each team. Still, selecting either is a bit of a risk, especially with a player like Collen Warner sitting there. Warner made 24 appearances for the Dynamo and 2016, and could provide good midfield depth for either expansion side.
LA GALAXY
The Galaxy are in the midst of their own rebuild, but there’s certainly some talent left unprotected. Robbie Keane is an obvious one, but questions remain about his future. A player like Baggio Husidic is a pretty safe bet. He’s not a sexy pick, but he’s certainly a player that can provide some veteran stability for an MLS newcomer.
MONTREAL IMPACT
Harry Shipp may not have shined in Montreal like he did in Chicago, but the young playmaker is still a player that can be trusted with a No. 10 role. At just over $100,000, Shipp would provide quite the bargain given what he showed during his time with the Fire. Given Atlanta’s wealth of attacking midfield options, Minnesota United is an obvious fit, and Adrian Heath could certainly go into the season confident with Shipp as a primary playmaker.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Femi Hollinger-Jansen’s numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, but the young forward could certainly provide a bit of value. The former Indiana striker made 19 appearances for the Revs, just one of which was a start. At 24, he still has time to grow and could be an intriguing pickup later in the draft.
NEW YORK CITY FC
The decision to protect Mix Diskerud was a bit of a surprise, but it’s likely an indication that the midfielder either has a no-trade clause NYCFC still thinks they can dangle him as trade bait. Just two years removed from their own Expansion Draft, NYCFC doesn’t have too much depth quite yet, but someone like Tony Taylor could be an interesting forward option at a relatively cheap price.
NEW YORK RED BULLS
Chris Duvall. The Georgia native seems a no-brainer for Atlanta United. Defensively, Duvall is very sound and, even if his attacking game is not quite there, the young defender could be a very valuable selection for either team. Good fullbacks are never easy to find and, even if he has had injury issues, Duvall is certainly a good fullback that could help most MLS teams.
ORLANDO CITY
Orlando City is an interesting team on Tuesday thanks to the club’s ties to Heath. Still, there isn’t too many players worth salivating over. One of the few that could prove useful is Servando Carrasco, as the veteran midfielder could provide a bit of serviceable depth for either side.
PHILADELPHIA UNION
The Union have left several interesting players available, especially for two teams on the hunt for veterans. Maurice Edu’s deal may price both sides out, making it hard to imagine him moving on Tuesday. Someone like Charlie Davies or Ray Gaddis could be interesting, especially given the latter’s ability to play on either side of the defense.
PORTLAND TIMBERS
Nat Borchers’ status as a free agent and injury issues make him a risk, but he could be a very valuable asset for either team should he opt to sign on. A veteran defender, Borchers has claimed two MLS Cups and could provide plenty of valuable leadership and strength to a backline. If healthy and ready to sign, he could be one to watch on Tuesday.
REAL SALT LAKE
RSL is an interesting team considering just one player left unprotected, Jeff Attinella, is under contract. Meanwhile, one player, ‘Burrito’ Martinez, is protected despite already leaving the club due to expansion draft rules requiring international players to be protected. With that in mind, Attinella is the most likely pick here but, with a wealth of goalkeeping options available in the draft, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see RSL spared.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Experienced defenders are always valued in these sorts of drafts, making Marvell Wynne a good value choice for either of the two expansion teams. With the ability to play either centrally or out wide, Wynne is a decent enough defender that still has pace to burn. Marc Pelosi is another interesting name, but Wynne is the safest pick of the bunch.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Fresh off their MLS Cup triumph, the Sounders unprotected list has several solid players. As stated numerous times already, there’s always value in veteran midfielders, making Erik Friberg a natural target. Someone like Oniel Fisher should also draw interest.
SPORTING KC
Sporting KC’s unprotected list features a pair of young prospects that could draw interest. Cameron Porter has yet to match the heights of his CONCACAF Champions League finish, but the young forward showed promise before picking up an injury early into his rookie season. Benji Joya, meanwhile, is still just 23-years-old and could certainly be molded into a very good MLS playmaker. The two would be solid fits for Minnesota United, who could be looking for depth in the attacking end.
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC’s unprotected list features two starters from the team’s MLS Cup run. Clint Irwin is likely the most coveted goalkeeper of the bunch, and the team’s decision to leave him unprotected shows a lot of faith in Alex Bono. Steven Beitashour, meanwhile, proved a valuable contributor from the wingback position, and could certainly help an Atlanta United team still looking for defensive options. His high salary could deter either team, though. It would be shocking to see TFC escape unharmed, as it’s just a matter of which of the two gets chosen first.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
Giles Barnes and Masato Kudo are both interesting options for any team looking for forward depth. Barnes is an MLS veteran, one who has been through the grind before and could be a valuable asset to both incoming teams. Kudo, meanwhile, has shown to be a solid forward, one that could provide good depth as an impact sub.