MLS is Back with mo– wait, no we don’t need to capitalize the “B”, let’s try this again – MLS is back with more of the cool and fun thing they debuted earlier this year. There we go, nailed it.
In May, released the first-ever batch of roster profiles for all 29 teams, finally communicating key bits of information like which players are occupying Designated Player and U22 Initiative spots, which players can be moved off those DP spots, contract years, international slots, and more.
Now with the summer transfer window and the roster freeze officially in the past, MLS rolled out updated information for each squad earlier today.
With so many complex roster rules, it’s hard to have productive conversations about what teams can and can’t do to reshape their squads. It was close to impossible to have those conversations when teams couldn’t be bothered to accurately list their DPs and whatnot on their own roster pages. Other much more popular sports leagues in the U.S. have complex roster rules. But they also tend to have more transparency than we’ve ever seen in MLS, giving outsiders the power to debate potential trades and free agent signings.
Thanks to the latest roster profiles, which you can find here, we’re closer than ever to putting on our collective GM hat. To put this new information to good use, we’re taking a high-level look at each club’s roster flexibility ahead of the offseason.
Onwards.
Okay, one more thing. It’s my one and only caveat, I promise. My forecasting for the winter window is obviously subject to available cap space and allocation money. As mentioned, we don’t have access to that info in the public sphere right now.
I told you that was the last caveat and it is. Legends don’t count as caveats…do they?
Legend:
^ = Player cannot be converted from a DP to a non-DP with the use of allocation money
* = Player is currently unavailable, and club may receive roster/international spot relief, but not salary budget relief unless otherwise determined in a loan agreement
Atlanta United
Designated Players:
- Aleksei Miranchuk^
- Bartosz Slisz
U22 Initiative Players:
- Franco Ibarra*
- Edwin Mosquera
- Santiago Sosa*
What they can do in the offseason:
In short? A lot.
Because Bartosz Slisz can be moved off his DP tag with the use of allocation money, Atlanta United have just one “true” DP in Aleksei Miranchuk. That means they can add two DPs in the winter window, if they so choose, and they can replace Franco Ibarra and Santiago Sosa on their U22 Initiative list as both of their contracts expire at the end of the year.
That’s four high-value roster spots opening for Atlanta, along with managerial and chief soccer officer vacancies. Garth Lagerwey is a busy man.
