Nashville SC inexplicably, unfathomably never announced its end-of-year roster decisions, but thanks to MLS’s release of the available players in postseason roster mechanisms, we know who won’t be back (and can therefore reason out the opposite, of course).
Not coming back
Eligible for free agency:
- GK Bryan Meredith
- D Eric Miller
Re-entry:
- D Robert Castellanos
- M Irakoze Donasiyano
- GK Will Meyer
Returning
By MLS rule, that means everyone is coming back to Nashville (or still in negotiations with Nashville on a contract, giving NSC right of first refusal). Since there’s stuff floating around the fanbase about whether the delay in an announcement was related to a potential Dax McCarty retirement, please note that’s not relevant: Nashville would either hold or decline his option, regardless of whether he were to play next year.
Anyway (stars mean they would have been free-agency eligible without NSC exercising the option):
- M Brian Anunga
- D Josh Bauer
- F Teal Bunbury*
- M Handwalla Bwana
- M Sean Davis
- M Aníbal Godoy
- M Luke Haakenson
- M Randall Leal
- F Ake Loba
- D Ahmed Longmire
- D Dan Lovitz
- D Jack Maher
- M Dax McCarty*
- M Shaq Moore
- F Hany Mukhtar
- M Alex Muyl*
- GK Elliot Panicco
- M Fafa Picault
- M Rodrigo Piñeiro
- D Dave Romney
- F CJ Sapong*
- D Taylor Washington
- GK Joe Willis*
- D Walker Zimmerman
- F Ethan Zubak
Winger Jacob Shaffelburg not listed because his permanent trade from Toronto FC was never officially announced, though Nashville did note that he was automatically protected in the Expansion Draft, so certainly that’s another of the long-awaited announcements that just hasn’t happened.
As for the future, I wouldn’t say because Ake Loba or Rodrigo Piñeiro (for example) is still under contract that they’re necessarily members of the 2023 team – obviously Piñeiro wasn’t involved in 2022 despite being under contract – as NSC still retains the opportunity to transfer or buy out contracts. The mechanisms refer solely to rights within MLS at this stage, and contracts can still be in flux.
With most of an already-old team returning (and many of the guys who aren’t being on the younger side), getting a little younger with usable depth will be the priority for the 2023 build.
Club and Country 