With most Major League Soccer teams already seeing their seasons come to an end, the tough decisions involving rosters have begun with several players seeing their options exercised and some being declined heading into 2021.
There are plenty of talented players who will not be with their now former teams next season, with Pablo Piatti, Kendall Waston, Marc Rzatkowski, and Orji Okwonkwo leading the bunch of players who were either declined an option to return or will see their contract expire at the end of the year.
On the flip side, plenty of the 2020 season’s top performers and biggest surprises have played themselves into new deals. George Bello, Kyle Duncan, Ayo Akinola, and Andre Blake were among the players who will remain with their respective clubs for at least one more season.
SBI will be working to keep a running list of roster moves for all of the league’s teams.
Here is where teams stand at the moment, and which teams have reported their roster moves:
Atlanta United
Options Exercised: Mo Adams, George Bello, Franco Escobar, Jon Gallagher.
Options Declined: Andrew Carleton, Edgar Castillo, Manuel Castro, Lagos Kunga, Brendan Moore, Erick Torres, J.J. Williams, Laurence Wyke.
Expired Contracts: Jeff Larentowicz.
Chicago Fire
Options Exercised: Elliot Collier, Djordje Mihailović, Wyatt Omsberg, Nicholas Slonina.
Options Declined: Jeremiah Gutjahr, Connor Sparrow, Brandt Bronico.
Expired Contracts: Micheal Azira, CJ Sapong.
FC Cincinnati
Options Exercised: Zico Bailey, Ben Lundt, Haris Medunjanin.
Options Declined: Rashawn Dally, Siem de Jong, Mathieu Deplagne, Greg Garza, Joe Gyau, Bobby Edwards, Tommy McCabe, Jimmy McLaughlin, Hassan Ndam, Rey Ortiz, Caleb Stanko, Kendall Waston.
Expired Contracts: Andrew Gutman, Nick Hagglund, Spencer Richey and Przemysław Tytoń.
** Gyau, Tyton, Stanko, and Hagglund have signed new deals.
Colorado Rapids
Options Exercised: Sam Vines, Jeremy Kelly, Andre Shinyashiki.
Options Declined: Abdul Rwatubyaye, Deklan Wynne, Niki Jackson.
Expired Loans: William Yarbrough.
**Club is in talks to retain Yarbrough on permanent deal.
**Club has also re-signed Drew Moor Steven Beitashour to new one-year contracts with the club, while Clint Irwin, Danny Wilson, and Collen Warner have all signed new two-year deals
Columbus Crew
Options Exercised: Eloy Room, Harrison Afful, Grant Lillard, Milton Valenzuela, Josh Williams, Derrick Etienne Jr., Pedro Santos, Miguel Berry.
Options Declined: Andrew Tarbell, Fatai Alashe, Youness Mokhtar, Jordan Hamilton, Krisztian Nemeth
Expired Contracts: Waylon Francis, Emmanuel Boateng, Hector Jimenez, Fanendo Adi.
** Club remains in talks with out of contract players.
FC Dallas
Options Exercised: Jimmy Maurer, Kyle Zobeck, Nkosi Burgess, Michael Barrios, Brandon Servania, Ema Twumasi.
Options Declined: Callum Montgomery, Francis Atuahene, Santiago Mosquera.
Expired Contracts: Reto Ziegler.
** Club is in talks with Phelipe Megiolaro and Bressan on return.
D.C. United
Options Exercised: Joseph Mora, Júnior Moreno, Yordy Reyna, Ulises Segura.
Options Declined: Mohammed Abu, Earl Edwards, Jr., Oniel Fisher, Felipe Martins, Gelmin Rivas, Axel Sjöberg.
Expired Contracts: Chris Odoi-Atsem, Chris Seitz
** The club remains in talks with several players over new deals.
Houston Dynamo
Options Exercised: Darwin Cerén, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Sam Junqua, Nico Lemoine, Adam Lundkvist, Erik McCue, Michael Nelson, Marcelo Palomino, Matías Vera.
Options Declined: Kyle Adams, Víctor Cabrera, Cody Cropper, Tomás Martínez, Ronaldo Peña, Michael Salazar, Wilfried Zahibo.
Expired Contracts: Maynor Figueroa, Boniek García, Niko Hansen.
** Club exercised Ariel Lassiter’s option to buy and has made bonafide offer to Hansen. José Bizama has also agreed to a restructured contract.
L.A. Galaxy
Options Exercised: Justin Vom Steeg, Diedie Traore, Kai Koreniuk, Ethan Zubak.
Options Declined: Joe Corona, Emiliano Insua, Emil Cuello, Yony Gonzalez, Jonathan Klinsmann, Gordon Wild.
Expired Contracts: Cristian Pavon, Carlos Harvey, David Bingham, Rolf Feltscher, Perry Kitchen.
** Club remains in talks to acquire Pavon and Harvey on permanent deals. Also, Sacha Kljestan has signed a new deal.
LAFC
Options Exercised: Pablo Sisniega, Danny Musovski, Carlos Vela.
Options Declined: Phillip Ejimadu, Jesús Murillo, Andy Najar, Adrien Perez, Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Expired Contracts: Jordan Harvey, Dejan Jakovic, Mohamed El-Munir, Mark Segbers.
** Club remains in conversations to purchase Murillo outright.
Inter Miami
Options Exercised: John McCarthy
Options Declined: Mikey Ambrose, Juan Agudelo, Jerome Kiesewetter, David Norman Jr., Alvas Powell, Andres Reyes, Luis Robles, Denso Ulysse
Expired Contracts: A.J. DeLaGarza, Federico Higuain, Brek Shea, Wil Trapp
** Club is in talks with several players about returning, including Andres Reyes.
Minnesota United
Options Exercised: Ethan Finlay, Foster Langsdorf, Dayne St. Clair, Noah Billingsley, Hassani Dotson, Sam Gleadle, Chase Gasper.
Options Declined: Aaron Schoenfeld, James Musa, Greg Ranjitsingh, Jose Aja, Kevin Partrida.
Expired Contracts: Kei Kamara, Raheem Edwards.
** Club is in talks with Osvaldo Alonso, Marlon Hairston, Brent Kallman, Jacori Hayes, Kevin Molino, and Luis Amarilla regarding their futures with the club.
Montreal Impact
Options Exercised: Clément Diop, James Pantemis Jonathan Sirois, Karifa Yao, Clément Bayiha, Mathieu Choinière, Tomas Giraldo, Amar Sejdic, Romell Quioto, Mason Toye.
Options Declined: Bojan, Steeven Saba, Shamit Shome, Anthony Jackson-Hamel.
Expired Contracts: Rod Fanni, Jukka Raitala, Jorge Corrales, Orji Okwonkwo.
Loans Extended: Luis Binks, Lassi Lappalainen.
** Quioto signed a new two-year deal with the club.
Nashville SC
Options Exercised: Jalil Anibaba, Brian Anunga, Dominique Badji, Handwalla Bwana, Abu Danladi, Luke Haakenson, Alistair Johnston, Matt LaGrassa, Elliot Panicco, Daniel Rios, Taylor Washington.
Options Declined: None.
Expired Contracts: Brayan Beckeles, Tanner Dieterich, Cameron Lancaster, Eric Miller, Ken Tribbett, Alan Winn.
Loans Extended: None.
** Club remains in talks with Miller on return to club.
New England Revolution
Options Exercised: Luis Caicedo, Scott Caldwell, Carles Gil, Brad Knighton, Collin Verfurth.
Options Declined: Isaac Angking, Jeff Caldwell, Nicolas Firmino, Kekuta Manneh, Michael Mancienne, Cristian Penilla, Seth Sinovic.
Expired Contracts: Antonio Delamea, Diego Fagundez, Thomas McNamara, Kelyn Rowe, Lee Nguyen.
New York Red Bulls
Options Exercised: Kyle Duncan, Sean Nealis, Sean Davis, Kaku, Jared Stroud, Daniel Royer, Florian Valot, Tom Barlow.
Options Declined: Patrick Seagrist, Samuel Tetteh, Chris Lema, Ben Mines, Marc Rzatkowski.
Expired Contracts: Kendall McIntosh.
NYCFC
Options Exercised: Luis Barraza, Alexander Callens, Justin Haak, Ronald Matarrita, James Sands.
Options Declined: Gary Mackay-Steven, Gedion Zelalem.
Expired Contracts: Brad Stuver.
** Club remains in talks with Mackay-Steven and Zelalem on new deals.
Orlando City
Options Exercised: Robin Jansson, Kamal Miller, João Moutinho, Ruan, Kyle Smith, Joey DeZart, Benji Michel, Chris Mueller, Mason Stajduhar.
Permanent Deals Exercised: Rodrigo Schlegel, Andrés Perea, Alexander Alvarado.
Options Declined: Alex De John, Josue Colman, Robinho, Santiago Patiño.
Expired Contracts: Dom Dwyer.
** Club is in negotiations with remaining players who are out of contract.
Philadelphia Union
Options Exercised: Ray Gaddis, Kai Wagner, Andre Blake, Ilsinho, Anthony Fontana, Matt Real, Olivier Mbaizo.
Options Declined: Warren Creavalle, Andrew Wooten, Michee Ngalina.
Expired Contracts: Joe Bendik, Aurelien Collin.
** Club signed Cory Burke to new deal and remains in talks with both Bendik and Collin.
Portland Timbers
Options Exercised: Eryk Williamson, Cristhian Paredes, Blake Bodily, Dairon Asprilla, Aljaz Ivacic, Julio Cascante, Zac McGraw, Renzo Zambrano.
Options Declined: Andres Flores, Chris Duvall.
Expired Contracts: Larrys Mabiala.
** Club is in talks with Mabiala on a new contract. Marco Farfan has also received a bonafide offer from the club.
Real Salt Lake
Options Exercised: David Ochoa, Justen Glad, Erik Holt, Everton Luiz, Justin Portillo, Maikel Chang, Douglas Martinez, Tate Schmitt.
Options Declined: Alvin Jones, Luis Arriaga, Giuseppe Rossi, Julian Vazquez.
Expired Contracts: Andrew Putna, Kyle Beckerman, Luke Mulholland.
Retired: Nedum Onuoha.
** Club is in talks with several players regarding possible returns in 2021.
San Jose Earthquakes
Options Exercised: JT Marcinkowski, Daniel Vega, Jacob Akanyirige, Jack Skahan.
Options Declined: Guram Kashia, Luis Felipe, Vako.
Expired Contracts: Matt Bersano, Danny Hoesen, Chris Wondolowski.
** Club has made a bonafide offer to Bersano and is in talks to retain Wondolowski. Paul Marie, Tommy Thompson and Shea Salinas all signed new contracts this week.
Seattle Sounders
Options Exercised: Will Bruin, Stefan Frei, Shandon Hopeau, Nouhou, Shane O’Neill and Alex Roldan.
Options Declined: Justin Dhillon, Miguel Ibarra, Joevin Jones.
Expired Contracts: Stefan Cleveland, Jimmy Medranda, Kelvin Leerdam, Gustav Svensson, Román Torres.
Expired Loans: Joao Paulo.
** Club is in talks with several players on possible returns in 2021 as well as Paulo’s parent club Botafogo on a permanent deal.
Sporting KC
Options Exercised: Amadou Dia, Felipe Hernandez, Gadi Kinda, Johnny Russell, and Graham Smith.
Options Declined: Eric Dick, Wan Kuzain, Winston Reid, Richard Sanchez.
Expired Contracts: Matt Besler, Roger Espinoza, Gerso Fernandes, Erik Hurtado.
** The club remains in contract talks with Espinoza, Fernandes, Gutierrez, and Hurtado.
Toronto FC
Options Exercised: Kevin Silva, Julian Dunn, Nick DeLeon, Tsubasa Endoh, Liam Fraser, Ifunanyachi Achara, Ayo Akinola.
Options Declined: Pablo Piatti.
Expired Contracts: Laurent Ciman, Justin Morrow, Eriq Zavaleta.
Loans Declined: Tony Gallacher.
Vancouver Whitecaps
Options Exercised: Isaac Boehmer, Thomas Hasal, Jake Nerwinski, Derek Cornelius, Michael Baldisimo, Patrick Metcalfe, Theo Bair.
Options Declined: Andy Rose, Georges Mukumbilwa.
Expired Contracts: Fredy Montero, Bryan Meredith.
Loans Declined: David Milinković.
** Club remains in talks with Montero and Rose on new deals.