Real Salt Lake, all of MLS pass in waiver draft

Real Salt Lake has passed on selecting players during today’s MLS Waiver Draft — a not-too-surprising move, especially considering that a grand total of zero clubs made selections in the draft.

Why’s that, you ask? Well, the pickings are kind of slim, and the players available aren’t world-beaters, by any stretch of the imagination. It largely includes players who haven’t been in MLS for three years or more.

Throw in the fact that you have to make a “genuine offer” to any player you draft, and you’re left with a situation that leaves clubs shouldering a fair amount of risk if they pick a player. What’s a “genuine offer,” you ask? There’s no real definition readily available, but the MLS collective bargaining agreement stated (Section 29.2) that players placed on waivers in other scenarios would be offered at their current salary. Is that the case here? Who knows.

Boyd Okwuonu, Phanuel Kavita, and Emery Welshman — all three players available from Real Salt Lake — were not selected. That leaves Real Salt Lake with a chance to bring any of them back on new contracts, or potentially to sign players at Real Monarchs.

Now, Real Salt Lake has actually dipped their toes into the Waiver Draft waters before. In 2012, they signed defensive midfielder Cole Grossman on waivers from Columbus Crew. So, you know, there’s that.