After three seasons with FC Dallas, goalkeeper Kevin Hartman looks to be on his way out of Frisco. His agent, Ron Waxman, commented tonight that the club has not offered Hartman a contract, and will not be doing so.
Waxman stated “FC Dallas have decided not to offer star GK Kevin Hartman a new contract. After 3 excellent seasons in Dallas, Kevin will miss the fans.”
Hartman’s contract expired at the end of the regular season, his third with the club. This past season, the 38-year-old became the first player in MLS history to surpass 400 career games played. He also holds career records for most wins, shutouts, and saves amongst all goalkeepers. He joined FC Dallas in 2010 after being traded from the then-Kansas City Wizards.
For FC Dallas, they will be looking towards the future, as they are expected to re-sign Chris Seitz, who recently won the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year award. Seitz won the award after he was discovered to be a bone marrow match for a patient suffering from Leukemia. Seitz underwent a bone marrow transplant mid-season, and is still recovering from that transplant.
Long term, FC Dallas will look towards 18-year old Richard Sanchez, a Texas native who signed with FC Dallas as a homegrown player in 2011. He became the first American-born FIFA U-17 World Cup Champion, as he helped lead Mexico to a 2-0 shutout of Uruguay in the championship. He went on to see action for the U-20 team this year, along with being Hartman’s backup for six matches this season, while Seitz recovered from surgery.
Sanchez recently signed a contract extension through 2015 with FC Dallas.
What do you think of the move? Where do you feel Hartman ends up? Are you as optimistic about Sanchez as FC Dallas seems to be? Share your thoughts below.