The MLS offseason is well underway, and while some teams have already filled roster holes in preparation for 2016, others have a busy new year ahead of them.
A handful of trades have taken place across the league, while some big-name players have also left the league to ply their trade elsewhere.
Former LA Galaxy teammates Omar Gonzalez and Juninho, as well as Luis Gil and Jorge Villafaña, will take part in next season’s Liga MX, while former Seattle Sounders midfielder Andy Rose is heading to Coventry City.
Meanwhile, the Re-Entry Draft saw four players swap teams, including goal-scorer Maximiliano Urruti — who is now a member of FC Dallas.
Several players had their contract options declined at the beginning of December, and many others will expire at the end of the year. As the offseason rolls on some of those players may choose to move on from or re-sign with their 2015 club. One of those players includes Mike Magee, who is a free agent and testing the market, though he could still wind up re-signing with the Fire.
With plenty of decisions to be made in the upcoming months, here is a look at the moves that have already been made:
MLS COMINGS AND GOINGS
(*) – Expired contract, and reportedly in discussions to re-sign
(!) – Contract option declined, contract expired or contract waived
(#) – Loan deal ended
ON THE WAY IN – Joey Calistri, Drew Conner
ON THE WAY OUT – Alec Kann, Adailton (!), Jon Busch (!), Razvan Cocis (!), Greg Cochrane (!), Jason Johnson (!), Jeff Larentowicz*, Lovel Palmer (!), Chris Ritter (!), Daniel Cyrus (#), Ty Harden (!), Mike Magee*, Matthew Watson (!)
ON THE WAY IN – Marco Pappa, Zac MacMath, Micheal Azira
ON THE WAY OUT – Drew Moor, James Riley (!), Maynor Figueroa (!), Nick LaBrocca (!), Lucas Pittinari (!), Vicente Sánchez (!), Carlos Alvarez (!), Charles Eloundou (!), Gabriel Torres (!), Bobby Burling (!), Michael Harrington (!)
ON THE WAY IN – Corey Ashe
ON THE WAY OUT – Chris Klute, Emanuel Pogatetz (!), Kristinn Steindorsson (!), Ben Speas (!), Matt Lampson (!), Kevan George*, Jack McInerney*, Aaron Schoenfeld*
ON THE WAY IN – Lamar Neagle
ON THE WAY OUT – Chris Pontius, Jairo Arrieta (!), Michael Farfan (!), Facundo Coria (!), Andrew Dykstra*, Perry Kitchen*
ON THE WAY IN – Maximiliano Urruti
ON THE WAY OUT – Dan Kennedy, Blas Perez, Otis Earle (!), Danny Garcia (!), David Texeira (!), Michel (!), Stephen Keel*, Bakary Soumare, Walker Zimmerman*
ON THE WAY IN – Cristian Maidana, Andrew Wenger, Bradley Bourgeois, Calle Brown
ON THE WAY OUT – Jermaine Taylor, Michael Lisch (!), AJ Cochran (!), Luis Garrido (!), Alexander Lopez (!), Nathan Sturgis (!), Chandler Hoffman (!)
ON THE WAY IN – Dan Kennedy, Daniel Steres, Clement Diop
ON THE WAY OUT – Omar Gonzalez, Juninho, Edson Buddle (!), Tommy Meyer (!), Brian Perk (!), Donovan Ricketts (!), Charlie Rugg (!), Mika Vayrynen (!), Kenney Walker (!), Andrew Wolverton (!), Alan Gordon*
ON THE WAY IN – None
ON THE WAY OUT – Justin Mapp, Hassoun Camara (!), Kenny Cooper (!), Dilly Duka*, Victor Cabrera* (#)
ON THE WAY IN – None
ON THE WAY OUT – Kevin Alston, Trevor Spangenberg (!), Jeremy Hall (!), Timi Mulgrew (!), Steve Neumann (!), Tyler Rudy (!), Andy Dorman (!), Jermaine Jones*
ON THE WAY IN – Ethan White
ON THE WAY OUT – Kwame Watson-Siriboe (!), Jeb Brovsky (!), Ned Grabavoy (!), Pablo Alvarez (!), Angelino (#), Shay Facey (#), Ryan Meara (#), Javier Calle (#), Sebastian Velasquez*
ON THE WAY IN – Alex Muyl, Derrick Etienne, Brandon Allen, Chris Thorsheim, Mael Corboz, Scott Thomsen
ON THE WAY OUT – Dane Richards (!), Roy Miller (!), Damien Perrinelle*, Shaun Wright-Phillips*, Kyle Reynish*, Anthony Wallace (!), Leo Stolz (!), Manolo Sanchez (!), Marius Obekop (!)
ON THE WAY IN – Joe Bendik, Kevin Alston
ON THE WAY OUT – Tally Hall (!), Josh Ford (!), Corey Ashe, Eric Avila (!), Lewis Neal (!), Danny Mwanga (!), Adam Bedell (!), Sidney Rivera (!), Tony Cascio (!)
ON THE WAY IN – Chris Pontius
ON THE WAY OUT – Cristian Maidana, Andrew Wenger, Zac MacMath, Austin Berry (!), Steven Vitoria (!), Fred (!), Eric Bird (!), Danny Cruz (!), Jimmy McLaughlin (!), Dzenan Catic (!), Conor Casey (!), Antoine Hoppenot (!), Warren Creavalle*, Fabinho*, Brian Carroll*, Michael Lahoud*, Fernando Aristeguieta* (#), Brian Sylvestre*
ON THE WAY IN – Chris Klute, Jermaine Taylor
ON THE WAY OUT – Maximiliano Urruti, Jorge Villafaña, Will Johnson, Andrew Weber (!), Jeanderson (!), Norberto Paparatto (!), Michael Nanchoff (!), Ben Zemanski*, Rodney Wallace*
ON THE WAY IN – None
ON THE WAY OUT – Luis Gil, Phanuel Kavita (!), Demar Phillips (!), Elias Vasquez (!), Pecka (!), Chris Schuler*, Luis Silva*
ON THE WAY IN – Chad Barrett
ON THE WAY OUT – Mike Fucito (!), Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi (!), Khari Stephenson (!), Paulo Renato (!), Jordan Stewart*, Tomas Gomez (!)
ON THE WAY IN – None
ON THE WAY OUT – Andy Rose, Leo Gonzalez, Marco Pappa, Micheal Azira, Zach Scott*, Gonzalo Pineda (!), Troy Perkins (!), Andres Correa (!), Thomas (!), Chad Barrett
ON THE WAY IN – Justin Mapp, Alec Kann
ON THE WAY OUT – Jalil Anibaba (!), Jon Kempin*, Mikey Lopez*, Soni Mustivar*, Paulo Nagamura*, Seth Sinovic*
ON THE WAY IN – Will Johnson, Drew Moor, Steven Beitashour
ON THE WAY OUT – Joe Bendik, Chris Konopka (!), Manny Aparicio (!), Jackson (!), Robbie Findley*
ON THE WAY IN – None
ON THE WAY OUT – Steven Beitashour, Paolo Tornaghi*, Ethen Sampson*, Andre Lewis*, Caleb Clarke*, Mauro Rosales*, Robert Earnshaw*, Deybi Flores* (#), Cristian Techera* (#), Diego Rodríguez (#)
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Which teams do you see making the most moves in the coming weeks? Which players do you think will make the most impact at their new club?
Share your thoughts below.
As of this moment it’s hard to argue against Kennedy to the Galaxy being the “big” signing. I have a sense that Orlando is going to be one of the bigger signers this next month
any news on Jason Kreiss? will he be coaching one of these teams next year??
Jason Kreis is taking a year off,…away from soccer. NYFC surely paid him handsomely. My prediction,….he clears his head,…Sigi underwhelms in Seattle and Kreis takes the job and teams up with Lagerway again.
Yeah, there are a lot of holes to fill throughout the league. Philly better get on it.
Update to list:
Timbers resigned Zemanski, and are in contract talks to resign paparatto.
An awful lot of holes to fill as those leaving outnumber those coming in by about 3 to 1 is my guess. They can’t all be filled with the college draft, so it will be an interesting transfer window.
All signs point to a big January.
The Union have the longest “on the way out” list and only one player coming in so far. Hopefully they bring in new international guys when the window opens.
Losing Omar, Gil, Juhninho, Drogba probably Kitchen and Miazga as well as some superdraft candidates who may be going to Europe seems to be a down winter for MLS. hope they have a good transfer window coming up
I think is a great indicator of the progression of MLS as so many new players value playing in MLS come into the league and the players leaving the league demonstrate MLS’s growing reputation and the value external teams place on MLS players.