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Today’s draft — we can’t even say this week’s draft in MLS — is the MLS Re-Entry Draft, and if you’re wondering what that is, you’re probably not alone.
It’s a draft to allow clubs an opportunity to pick up a player whose option has been declined or who is out of contract, and it’s a two-stage draft. This is the first stage, and players who are selected must be given a contract offer or picked up at their option salary. Importantly, players can also opt out of the re-entry draft, choosing to explore other options — perhaps with their current club, perhaps in another league, or for some other reasons.
Real Salt Lake’s entrants to the list: Olmes Garcia, John Stertzer, and Devon Sandoval. Aaron Maund, who is out of contract (unless the club has re-signed him without announcing it) is not available in the draft, which bodes well.
Additionally, several RSL players who might have been available in years past aren’t — that’s thanks to the free agency rule. We might see Chris Wingert and Jamison Olave explore such options.
MLS Re-Entry Draft list
| 2016 CLUB | PLAYERS | 2017 STATUS | Guaranteed | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 CLUB | PLAYERS | 2017 STATUS | Guaranteed | Position |
| CHI | Cocis, Razvan | Option Decline | 160,000.00 | M |
| CHI | Gehrig, Eric | Option Decline | 112,708.33 | D |
| CHI | McLain, Patrick | Option Decline | 72,500.00 | GK |
| CHI | Stephens, Michael | Option Decline | 115,000.00 | M |
| CLB | Clark, Steve | Option Decline | 238,333.33 | GK |
| CLB | Barson, Chad | Out of Contract | 63,000.00 | D |
| COL | Doyle, Conor | Option Decline | 67,250.00 | F |
| DC | Korb, Chris | Out of Contract | 116,379.83 | D |
| DC | Dykstra, Andrew | Option Decline | 85,700.00 | GK |
| DC | Saborio, Alvaro | Option Decline | 535,500.00 | F |
| FCD | Paparatto, Norberto | Option Decline | 174,999.96 | D |
| FCD | Rosales, Mauro | Option Decline | 62,500.00 | M |
| HOU | Maidana, Cristian | Option Decline | 237,600.00 | M |
| HOU | Mansally, Abdoulie | Out of Contract | 84,000.00 | D |
| LA | Da Silva, Leonardo | Option Decline | 165,000.00 | D |
| MTL | Bekker, Kyle | Out of Contract | 94,191.50 | M |
| NE | Neumann, Steve | Option Decline | 62,500.00 | M-F |
| NE | Kobayashi, Daigo | Out of Contract | 132,000.00 | M |
| NYCFC | Taylor, Tony | Option Decline | 91,875.00 | F |
| NYRB | Ouimette, Karl | Option Decline | 63,000.00 | D |
| ORL | Ribeiro, Pedro | Option Decline | 63,000.00 | M-F |
| PHI | Fernandes, Leo | Out of Contract | 63,000.00 | M |
| POR | Klute, Chris | Option Decline | 91,921.80 | D |
| POR | Konopka, Chris | Option Decline | 64,999.96 | GK |
| POR | Taylor, Jermaine | Option Decline | 150,000.00 | D |
| RSL | Garcia, Olmes | Option Decline | 160,000.00 | F |
| RSL | Stertzer, John | Option Decline | 75,166.67 | M |
| RSL | Sandoval, Devon | Out of Contract | 67,500.00 | F |
| SEA | Farfan, Michael | Option Decline | 80,000.00 | M |
| SEA | Lowe, Damion | Option Decline | 77,412.50 | D |
| SEA | Ockford, Jimmy | Option Decline | 63,000.00 | D |
| SEA | Remick, Dylan | Option Decline | 63,000.00 | D |
| SJ | Meredith, Bryan | Option Decline | 63,000.00 | GK |
| SJ | Sherrod, Mark | Option Decline | 63,000.00 | F |
| SJ | Nyassi, Sanna | Out of Contract | 141,250.00 | M |
| SJ | Stewart, Jordan | Out of Contract | 100,000.00 | M-D |
| SKC | Kempin, Jonathan | Option Decline | 82,750.00 | GK |
| TFC | Williams, Josh | Out of Contract | 131,250.00 | D |
| TFC | Lovitz, Daniel | Option Decline | 63,000.00 | M |
| VAN | Morales, Pedro | Option Decline | 1,471,400.00 | M |
| VAN | Perez, Blas | Out of Contract | 225,750.00 | F |