Due to Major League Soccer’s long season and playoff system, many teams have already begun making roster cuts and working on contracts for 2016 before MLS Cup is even played. With preseason starting in January, the offseason moves will come quickly in the next few weeks – especially for rebuilding teams like Chicago Fire, who declined some contract options, and exercised some others. Let’s take a look at who might not be back in 2016 first.
Breaking down Fire Roster Moves: Contract Options Edition
Options Declined:
Adailton, Jon Busch, Razvan Cocis, Greg Cochrane, Jason Johnson, Alec Kann, Jeff Larentowicz, Lovel Palmer and Chris Ritter have all been told that they will not be back at the same salary number next season. In addition, Daneil Cyrus’s loan is expired and he will likely not be back.
Three other players’ contracts are expired with no option year after 2015 and they are Mike Magee, Ty Harden, and Matt Watson.
What does this mean? For starters, Busch, Larentowicz, Magee, and Harden are all eligible to test the new free agent market in MLS. It’s plausible that Larentowicz or Magee may find teams willing to pay them what they want as free agents, but both are on the wrong side of 30 and only Magee has spoken out about the possibility of making this move. Larentowicz and Busch may also be re-signed at a lower salary, as both are popular with fans as well as in the locker room.
Matt Watson and Lovel Palmer will both be available in the Re-entry draft, and both are the type of utility player who may be picked in that draft. Watson’s salary cap hit is under $100,000 so he would be especially useful to some teams.
As for the other declined players, they fall into two categories: “Not good enough” and “Too Expensive” (in MLS terms).
“Not Good Enough”: Jason Johnson, Greg Cochrane, Alec Kann, Chris Ritter
None of these players have impressed in their time in Chicago. They have been utility men at best and roster filler at worst. Ritter may be the most interesting cut here. He is a homegrown player but at 25 years old, he may have hit his plateau at the MLS reserve level. Johnson is another one-time prospect who seems to have hit a ceiling. The 13th pick in the 2013 MLS Superdraft will probably be looking for another club.
“Too Expensive (relatively speaking)”: Adailton, Razvan Cocis
Though their salaries of just about $250,000 each are tiny in the scheme of world football, these veterans just take up too much of the MLS salary cap to justify keeping around. Though both offer something to the team, and both have expressed how much they enjoy living in the USA, they will need to take a pay cut to return next season. Cocis in particular would have to take a big cut, due to the presence of younger players such as Matt Polster and Mike Stephens in center midfield.
Which brings us to the four players who Chicago has re-upped with.
Options Exercised: Kingsley Bryce, Patrick Doody, Matt Polster, and Harry Shipp.
Bryce and Doody are at the league minimum and Doody looked good in limited action in MLS. He also led St. Louis in assists from the left back position, which is a promising sign. Polster and Shipp are the future of the Fire. Polster appears to have more upside, but both players may benefit from the developmental focus of new coach Veljko Paunovic. Polster in particular could be the midfield presence Chicago has struggled to find ever since the loss of Chris Armas.
These four players will join the group who are already under contract for 2016. Barring any trades, transfers, or other shenanigans, here is your 2016 Chicago Fire, as of December 1, 2015:
David Accam, Kingsley Bryce, Patrick Doody, Collin Fernandez, Eric Gehrig, Gilberto, Kennedy Igboananike, Sean Johnson, Joevin Jones, Patrick Nyarko, Matt Polster, Harry Shipp, Michael Stephens.
With only 13 players under contract for next season, there will be plenty of room for Veljko Paunovic and Nelson Rodriguez to put their stamp on this roster. Stay tuned, #cf97 nation, it’s going to be a busy offseason.
Main Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
