Today, Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. ET, the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com and the free MLS app. Read below to see how it works and which players from Crew SC are protected.
2019 MLS Expansion Draft Rules
Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC may select up to five players from the eligible MLS player pool below. Only a single player can be drafted from any one club. Once one player has been claimed from a club’s unprotected roster, Inter Miami and Nashville SC may not select any other players from that club's list.
- Five rounds
- Three minutes for each selection
- No timeouts
- No trades permitted during the draft
Players and teams exempt from the draft
- The five teams that had players selected by the FC Cincinnati in the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft are exempt from the 2019 Expansion Draft:
<ul><li>FC Dallas</li><li>D.C. United</li><li>Houston Dynamo</li><li>New York Red Bulls</li><li>Vancouver Whitecaps FC</li></ul></li><li>Players automatically exempt from the 2019 Expansion Draft:</li><li>Generation adidas players (who did not graduate at the end of the 2019 season)</li><li>Homegrown Players ages 25 and under (those born during or after 1994)</li></ul>
Players NOT exempt from the draft
- Designated Players: If a Designated Player has a no-trade clause in his contract, then the club must protect him in the Expansion Draft.
- International Players: Clubs with four or more international players must protect at least three international players, excluding any automatically protected players. If a club has only three international players, it must protect two. If a club has only two international players, it must protect one. A club that has only one international player is not required to protect that player.
- Free Agents: If a Free Agent is selected in the Expansion Draft, the expansion club that selected the player will gain his previous club’s ability to negotiate a new contract consistent with the CBA. The player’s 2019 club would be treated as a new club for purposes of the Free Agency rules.
Roster Notes
- For a club that has a player claimed from their unprotected roster, that team will receive $50,000 in General Allocation Money for the selection.
- If a club protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player’s option. It may renegotiate a new contract with the player as in previous years, subject to the CBA.
- If the player’s contract expires at the end of 2019, he will still be considered part of the club’s roster.
- If either Inter Miami CF or Nashville SC selects a Supplemental/Reserve Roster Player, it must offer him a Senior Roster position and he must remain on the Senior Roster as of 2020 Roster Compliance Date.
Columbus Crew SC players protected from selection in 2019 Expansion Draft:
- Lalas Abubakar
- Harrison Afful
- Chris Cadden
- Alex Crognale
- Artur
- Luis Diaz
- Jordan Hamilton
- Aboubacar Keita
- Jonathan Mensah
- Darlington Nagbe
- Eloy Room
- Pedro Santos
- Wil Trapp
- Milton Valenzuela
- JJ Williams
- Gyasi Zardes
For a full list of MLS players available for selection, view here.
