v. v. old Mike Jacobs and Ian Ayre photo from file/courtesy Nashville SC.
How shall #HotTimWinter unfold? The schedule of off-season roster mechanisms is here:
Monday, November 7 – Trade Window Opens (12 p.m. ET)
Following a two-month roster freeze, MLS clubs may begin making adjustments to their rosters and conduct trades with other MLS teams.
Wednesday, November 9 – Trade Window Closes and Blackout Period Begins (12 p.m. ET)
Blackout Period begins whereby clubs may no longer sign and/or trade players until the conclusion of the MLS Expansion Draft.
Thursday, November 10 – Expansion Protected Lists Announced (TBD)
The list of players eligible for selection in the MLS Expansion Draft will be released by MLS Communications.
Friday, November 11 – MLS Expansion Draft (TBD)
St. Louis CITY SC may select up to five players from the eligible player list. The list of players eligible for selection in the MLS Expansion Draft will be released by MLS Communications on Thursday, Nov. 10.
Expansion Draft Rules & ProceduresMonday, November 14 – Club Deadline to Submit Bona Fide Offers and Exercise Options (12 p.m. ET)
MLS clubs must submit to the MLS League Office, in writing, all Bona Fide offers. All roster decisions will be publicized by the individual clubs.MLS clubs must submit to the MLS League Office which players will have their options exercised, and which players will not have their options exercised. All roster decisions will be publicized by the individual clubs.
Wednesday, November 16 – Free Agency Opens (1 p.m. ET)
Clubs may engage with players, other than their own, that are eligible for Free Agency. Free Agency eligible players are out-of-contract and option-declined players who are at least 24 years old and who have completed a minimum of five service years.
Free Agency Rules & Procedures
MLS Communications will make the complete list of Free Agents available on Wednesday, Nov. 16.Thursday, November 17 – Re-Entry Process, Stage 1 (1 p.m. ET)
The Re-Entry Process (Stage 1 and Stage 2) is conducted in reverse order of 2022 season finish, considering postseason performance. Expansion club St. Louis CITY SC will have the 29th position in each round. Eligible Players include those who are at least 22 years old, have a minimum of one service year, and who are not eligible for Free Agency. An out-of-contract player who has received a BFO from his current club will not be eligible for the Re-Entry Draft.
Thursday, November 17 – End-of-Year Waivers (5 p.m. ET)
The End-of-Year Waivers process is conducted in reverse order of 2022 season finish, considering postseason performance. Expansion club St. Louis CITY SC will get the 29th pick, the final selection in each round. Eligible for selection are players who do not meet the minimum requirements for Re-Entry Process or Free Agency.End-of-Year Waivers Rules & ProceduresThe list of players eligible for the End-of-Year Waivers will be released by MLS Communications on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
Tuesday, November 22 – Re-Entry Process, Stage 2 (1 p.m. ET)
The Re-Entry Process, Stage 2 is conducted in the same order as Stage 1 and consists of MLS players who were not selected in the Stage 1. Not all unselected Stage 1 players will be available for selection as players may re-sign with their previous club between stages or may opt out of the process.
The list of players eligible for selection in the Re-Entry Process – Stage 2 will be released by MLS Communications on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
Thursday, December 8 to Monday, December 12 – MLS College Showcase presented by adidas (TBD)
The third edition of the MLS College Showcase presented by adidas will take place from Dec. 8-12 in Cary, N.C. The event will give technical staffs from every MLS club an opportunity to scout top collegiate prospects in the nation, including players with remaining NCAA eligibility.
Wednesday, December 21- 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas (TBD)
The 2023 MLS SuperDraft will consist of three rounds of player selection. The MLS SuperDraft order is set by taking the reverse order of the club standings at the end of each MLS season, taking postseason performance into account, with new expansion club St. Louis CITY SC at the top of the order.
Major league Soccer
It’s a different order of operations this year – in previous offseasons, the deadline to submit offers and exercise options came before the trade window. And frankly, it doesn’t make much sense this year, with clubs able to trade guys they don’t have to have any pretense of keeping under contract (and clubs trading for guys that they then have to protect in the Expansion Draft, without having had a chance to sign them to new contracts!), but that’s life. After the 48-hour trade window, the Expansion Draft, then free agency, then Re-entry and WaiverDrafts (guys who are ineligible for free agency or have not been signed in free agency “drafted” from a pool) will take place. From there, it’s on to adding college talent.
The international registration window opens Feb. 3 and runs through April 27.
From a Nashville SC perspective, the expectation is that we get a pretty early confirmation – the window opens in about an hour! – of a permanent deal for Jacob Shaffelburg, and other moves may come as a surprise. The Teal Bunbury trade last year, for example, was extremely logical in hindsight, but not one that was obvious before the reporting revealed it was coming down the pike.
Club and Country 