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MLS Cup Playoffs are set to get underway, but for the clubs that did not qualify for the postseason in 2024, the clock is ticking on offseason roster decisions. All 29 clubs will need to announce their end of season roster decisions over the next two months. First up will be the club’s already eliminated.
GIVEMESPORT’s MLS insider Tom Bogert has you covered on all the roster decisions around the league as they are announced through the offseason, with live reaction analysis.
Austin FC
Contract options exercised (2): Jimmy Farkarlun, Dani Pereira
Contract options declined (5): Matt Bersano, Ethan Finlay, Matt Hedges, Alex Ring, Jhojan Valencia
In negotiations (1): Hector Jimenez
NOV. 5 (7:22 pm ET) — By the end of the winter, well and truly, Austin FC will fully be in a new era. Following the roster update to kick off the offseason, most of the squad will have been turned over or seen their contracts extended.
Alex Ring, an original Austin FC member and their very first captain, is departing after the club declined his 2025 contract option. The move opens significant salary cap space after the 33-year-old made 137 appearances for the club. He was top three in appearances for Austin’s young club history. Ethan Finlay, who joined in Austin’s second season, will depart as well.
Veteran defender Matt Hedges and midfielder Jhojan Valencia saw their options declined as well, further opening key salary cap flexibility.
Austin have 21 players under contract but a ton of salary cap flexibility for significant additions, even after the signings of Osman Bukari (club-record fee), Oleksandr Svatok and Mikkel Desler this summer.
Sporting director Rodolfo Borrell took over last summer and has retooled the squad since. Austin named Nico Estevez head coach this winter.
Portland Timbers
Contract options exercised (1): Hunter Sulte
Contract options declined (3): Tega Ikoba, Marvin Loría, Mason Toye
NOV. 4 (11:53 am ET) — An encouraging first season under Phil Neville ended on a sour note with a 5-0 elimination at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps in the wildcard round. The outlook for the offseason got much murkier that night as well.
For now? They kicked off the winter with a handful of decisions on contract options, the most notable of which declining Mason Toye’s option for 2025. Portland also re-signed club legend Diego Chara to a new contract.
These decisions pale in comparison to what’s ahead for the Timbers this offseason, with at least one DP search and one huge conundrum with MVP-finalist Evander.
Evander took a direct shot at the club’s higher-ups on X after the loss as talks for a contract extension never found an agreement. Relationships between Evander’s camp and the Timbers are completely frayed. Will he depart this winter or is there an agreement to be found and trust rebuilt between both sides? TBD.
Related
Inside the dispute between the Portland Timbers and MLS MVP Finalist Evander
The Timbers star took to social media to call his club out after losing the MLS Cup Playoff Wild Card game to Vancouver on Wednesday.
Nashville SC
Contract options exercised (2): Julian Gaines, Lukas MacNaughton
Contract options declined (6): Forster Ajago, Tah Brian Anunga, Aníbal Godoy, Ben Martino, Amar Sejdić, Joey Skinner
Contract expired (2): Brent Kallman, Dru Yearwood
In negotiations (1): Josh Bauer
OCT. 28 (5:55 pm ET) — Nashville SC missed the playoffs for the first time in the club’s MLS history this year. With BJ Callaghan taking over as head coach this summer, the club head into the offseason looking to tweak the roster for 2025 and beyond. They opened up a good deal of flexibility under the salary cap with their roster decisions.
Nine players will depart the club, headlined by Aníbal Godoy, a crucial player to the club’s success since the expansion season though he’s often struggled with availability. Turning 35 in February, Godoy surpassed 2,000 minutes one time at the club and never started more than 22 regular season games in any season.
Another player around since the beginning is Tah Brian Anunga, whose option was also declined. Midfielder Dru Yearwood, added in a trade with the New York Red Bulls last winter, saw his contract expire.
The club are in discussions with center back Josh Bauer about a return in 2025.
Nashville being able to open up significant cap space with these moves is crucial to boost the roster, as their three designated player slots are filled and not changing soon behind former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar, five-time MLS Best XI selection Walker Zimmerman and 2024 leading goalscorer Sam Surridge. The club can add two U-22 initiative signings if they choose, though.
Toronto FC
Contract options exercised (7): Alonso Coello, Kobe Franklin, Luka Gavran, Deandre Kerr, Kevin Long, Tyrese Spicer, Kosi Thompson
Contract options declined (4): Aimé Mabika, Shane O’Neill, Greg Ranjitsingh, Brandon Servania
To be determined by Nov. 27 deadline (2): Prince Owusu, Luke Singh
OCT. 28 (5:22 pm ET) — The first full year under GM Jason Hernandez and head coach John Herdman, Toronto FC took positive steps after a disastrous past few years. The front office worked hard to overturn the roster best they could and Herdman to get the most out of the group. There’s still work to do and this winter will be important.
“We knew this was a three-year project,” Hernandez said last week. “It was going to take time to transition, but not making the playoffs or bringing the trophy home stings. When you look at the gaps, there was a significant sink in that second half of the season. … It’s a season of two halves and, for Toronto FC, a game of two halves as well.”
The end of season roster update was fairly straight-forward: Talented young players with contract options were extended, like Deandre Kerr, Kobe Franklin and No. 1 SuperDraft pick Tyrese Spicer. Veteran defender Kevin Long also had his option picked up for 2025 after a strong debut season.
Toronto declined options on four players, including midfielder Brandon Servania, who has struggled with injury most of his time with the club.
The club did not announce decisions for two players, one of which (Prince Owusu) carrying a significant salary cap charge ($800,000). The center forward led the team in goals with nine in 1,839 minutes. Did he do enough to stick around for 2025 and beyond or will the club move re-enter the market for a striker?
The biggest lingering question is if Lorenzo Insigne (and Federico Bernardeschi) will continue with the club next year. Bernardeschi had a bounceback year under Herdman. Insigne did not.
D.C. United
Contract options exercised (2): Aaron Herrera, Garrison Tubbs
Contract options declined (9): Alex Bono, Cristian Dájome, Nathan Crockford, Jeremy Garay, Tyler Miller, Christopher McVey, Martin Rodriguez, Hayden Sargis, Luis Zamudio
Contract expired (2): Russell Canouse, Pedro Santos
OCT. 26 (9:53 am ET) — D.C. United will be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason. Their roster update was unsurprising in their desire to free up as much flexibility as possible and to overhaul the roster best they can.
Another 11 players departing this winter means, since GM Ally Mackay took over last winter, a whopping total of 30 players have departed the club. Only Christian Benteke, Mateusz Klich, Matai Akinmboni, Ted Ku-DiPietro and Jackson Hopkins remain currently with the squad that Mackay took over (though Kristian Fletcher, on loan at Nottingham Forest, remains under contract as well). Klich still being at the club wasn’t an active decision, with the Polish midfielder’s deal auto-guaranteeing for 2025 due to a contract clause rather than a club option.
D.C. United also now currently have ZERO goalkeepers on the roster. That position was due for an overhaul this winter, but it will need to be complete with a starter, backup and third string.
Of the 13 players who could have left the club this winter, just two are staying as Aaron Herrera and Garrison Tubbs saw their 2025 options picked up.
D.C. United have only 17 players under contract heading to the winter. They have a lot of work to do, but the roster is just about completely turned over from what Mackay and head coach Troy Lesesne inherited, in only three transfer windows.
Chicago Fire
Contract options exercised (2): Jonathan Dean, Jeff Gal
Contracts expired (4): Rafael Czichos, Fabian Herbers, Ariel Lassiter, Spencer Richey
Loan expired (1): Allan Arigoni
In negotiations (2): Javier Cases, Wyatt Omsberg
OCT. 25 (9:25 am ET) — The first roster decisions under director of football and head coach Gregg Berhalter kicks off a winter of change for the Chicago Fire. Some decisions were obvious, others not so much.
Chicago moved on from the likes of Rafael Czichos, Fabian Herbers and Allan Arigoni, amid at least five departures. Only two players saw their contract options picked up.
Czichos was an obvious one. The center back hasn’t been anywhere near what they hoped when he signed to anchor the defense and was the fourth-highest paid player on the team last year. Letting the 34-year-old depart frees up a lot of flexibility.
Herbers? Less obvious. The versatile MLS veteran played 30 matches, a steady presence in the team in 2024. His contract ($421k) wasn’t steep, but it helps free up flexibility for Chicago nonetheless. I imagine a few teams will be in for Herbers in free agency.
Arigoni made 25 starts in his lone season with the Fire on loan from FC Lugano.
Berhalter and the Fire can add up to two designated players this winter as the new regime overhauls the roster into a new era.
St. Louis City
Contract options exercised (7): Chris Durkin, Hosei Kijima, Ben Lundt, Jay Reid, Akil Watts, Michael Wentzel, Indiana Vassilev
Contract option declined (1): John Klein
In negotiations (1): Jake Nerwinski
OCT. 22 (4:20 pm ET) — St. Louis City officially kicks off the roster update portion of the 2024 MLS offseason. All clubs have until November 27 to submit their roster decisions to the league office (except for Conference Final participants), who will still be playing. Typically, one team does so almost immediately after the season to turn the page. St. Louis were first this year.
It was a pretty straightforward process, with St. Louis picking up seven of nine options, with John Klein’s declined. Veteran fullback Jake Nerwinski also saw his option declined but he is in talks with the club about a new contract.
For the players sticking around, Chris Durkin and Indiana Vassilev are the biggest names. Durkin, acquired last winter from D.C. United, was an immediate stalwart in the lineup. He started 26 matches, third-most on the club. Vassilev started the fifth-most matches on the team. Both were no-brainer decisions. Both have contract options for 2026 as well.
Truth be told, the most interesting off the field time for STL was the summer when they made the majority of their significant moves. In came Marcel Hartel, Cedric Teuchert, Simon Becher, Jannes Horn, Henry Kessler and Jake Girdwood-Reich. That’s at least four if not five starting spots.
St. Louis still have to name a full time head coach, with interim John Hackworth among the finalists.
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