Way Too Early and May Not Happen Expansion Draft

EganSoccerWords

Registered
Elite Donor
Seasoned Supporter
Aug 9, 2015
3,138
6,156
303
38
Don Garber gave a couple interviews in Seattle the last couple of days, mostly in reaction to the shitty NYT article that came out about MLS Supporters. He did mention that Minnesota is a likely 2017 expansion candidate with Atlanta.

I know that MLS floated the idea of getting rid of the expansion draft and giving new teams more allocation money to fund signings, but nothing has been confirmed. Lets say the expansion rules are the same, who would you protect?

  • Teams get to protect 11 players on the Senior and Supplemental Roster
  • Player whose contracts expire at the end of the season, are still considered to be on the roster. Because of MLS BS, Lampard is the only player we know is expiring. Villa and Pirlo have contracts that run through 2017.
  • Generation Adidas players are automatically protected. Teams don't have to use one of their protection slots. This means that Jack Harrison is not eligible
  • DPs are not automatically protected.
  • Needs to make a minimum of 3 international players available for the draft. Must have at least 3 on the protection list.
  • Once a team has one player drafted,team can add a player to the protection list.

Not Draft Eligible:
  • Harrison (Generation Adidas)
  • Bravo (Loan)
  • Mendoza (Loan/Probably Gone Anyway)
  • Gomez (Loan)
Draft Eligible International (Pick Min 3 on Protection List/Max 7 )
  • Brillant
  • Chanot
  • Iraola
  • Johansen
  • Lampard
  • Martinez
  • Matarrita
  • Mena
  • Pirlo
  • Villa
Draft Eligible Domestic
  • Allen
  • Ballouchy
  • Brandt
  • Diskerud
  • Hernandez
  • Lopez
  • McNamara
  • Mullins
  • Rawls
  • Saunders
  • Shelton
  • Taylor
  • White
So who is your protected 11? You should also have two alternates that can be added to the protection list in case, one of our players gets drafted (two in case your alternate is the one that gets drafted).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: FootyLovin
EDIT to your DP rule: If the DP has a no-trade clause he must be protected and this counts against the 11. I don't know if our DPs have such clauses or if that is public knowledge. Absent some certainty on that, I think we have to assume that Villa and Pirlo must be protected. it's probably moot because I think the Celestes would protect them anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Goodfella and joe
EDIT to your DP rule: If the DP has a no-trade clause he must be protected and this counts against the 11. I don't know if our DPs have such clauses or if that is public knowledge. Absent some certainty on that, I think we have to assume that Villa and Pirlo must be protected. it's probably moot because I think the Celestes would protect them anyway.
You think someone would take Pirlo? I don't think they'd be willing to pay him.

In the unlikely event he doesn't have a no trade clause, I would probably leave him unprotected and dare them to take him. If they did, then he holds out and we throw them some scraps to get him back, or you wish him goodbye and good luck.
 
I would only protect villa from our DP list, I don't think anyone would try to steal the others, and i think their contracts are up at the end of the year if i recall, so there is nothing to protect. These are open slots that we can pay through the nose on so we can replace them with new DPs.
  • Brillant
  • Chanot
  • Iraola
  • Martinez
  • Matarrita
  • Villa
  • Allen
  • Diskerud
  • McNamara
  • Shelton
  • Taylor
  • Lopez - Alt 1
  • Mullins - Alt 2
in all honesty I wouldn't fear much beyond villa, mata and mix (for trade value as of now). They are the only ones i would say are quality players that would be hard to find replacements for. RJ allen is borderline because he's playing above is contract value, but that may change.
 
Last edited:
Don Garber gave a couple interviews in Seattle the last couple of days, mostly in reaction to the shitty NYT article that came out about MLS Supporters. He did mention that Minnesota is a likely 2017 expansion candidate with Atlanta.

I know that MLS floated the idea of getting rid of the expansion draft and giving new teams more allocation money to fund signings, but nothing has been confirmed. Lets say the expansion rules are the same, who would you protect?

  • Teams get to protect 11 players on the Senior and Supplemental Roster
  • Player whose contracts expire at the end of the season, are still considered to be on the roster. Because of MLS BS, Lampard is the only player we know is expiring. Villa and Pirlo have contracts that run through 2017.
  • Generation Adidas players are automatically protected. Teams don't have to use one of their protection slots. This means that Jack Harrison is not eligible
  • DPs are not automatically protected.
  • Needs to make a minimum of 3 international players available for the draft. Must have at least 3 on the protection list.
  • Once a team has one player drafted,team can add a player to the protection list.

Not Draft Eligible:
  • Harrison (Generation Adidas)
  • Bravo (Loan)
  • Mendoza (Loan/Probably Gone Anyway)
Draft Eligible International (Pick Min 3 on Protection List/Max 7 )
  • Brillant
  • Chanot
  • Iraola
  • Johansen
  • Lampard
  • Martinez
  • Matarrita
  • Mena
  • Pirlo
  • Villa
Draft Eligible Domestic
  • Allen
  • Ballouchy
  • Brandt
  • Diskerud
  • Gomez
  • Hernandez
  • Lopez
  • McNamara
  • Mullins
  • Rawls
  • Saunders
  • Shelton
  • Taylor
  • White
So who is your protected 11? You should also have two alternates that can be added to the protection list in case, one of our players gets drafted (two in case your alternate is the one that gets drafted).
This is a fun exercise if nothing else. Here's my list using the parameters above and accounting for salaries based on memory.

Brillant
Chanot (assuming he is a starter quality)
Iraola
Matarrita
Mena
Pirlo
Villa
Allen
McNamara
Mullins
Shelton

Candidates for the next player in would be Lopez. Eirik and Gomez are potentially interesting and cheap, but we have seen so little I don't really know. I also still like Martinez too, but per a separate thread yesterday, he seems pretty buried on the bench.
 
  1. Brillant
  2. Chanot
  3. Johansen
  4. Matarrita
  5. Martinez
  6. Pirlo
  7. Villa
  8. Allen
  9. McNamara
  10. Shelton
  11. White
Alt #1: Lopez
Alt #2: Iraola

The tough decision IMHO was which international player to not protect. Lampard should still count and Mena is an obvious choice if, but the third non protected player came down to Iraola vs Johansen for me. I don't think an expansion team is going to take a player who is going to be turning 35 next year, so I decided to protect Johansen, but it is risky. Pirlo is a different story since one of the expansion teams could try to sneak him on the roster for the first year promotion.

It was also a little hard determining the last domestic player to protect. Allen, McNamara, and Shelton were the obvious ones. The last spot came down to Lopez vs White for me. Lopez is a nice hustle player but the team made an effort to go after white so thats who I think they would protect.
 
I think this is pretty straight forward (especially when considering cap hits):

1. Villa $457,500 DP
2. Lampard $457,500 DP
3. Pirlo $457,500 DP
4. Iraola $200k
5. Brilliant $300k
6. Chant ???
7. Mata $175k
8. RJ $63k
9. TMac $85k
10. Lopez $51,500 MLS Min
11. Gomez $51,500 MLS Min

Alt 1. Khiry $94,500
Alt 2. Balouchy $86,662

The other players listed to leave available:
Martinez $135k
Brandt $53,472
Mix $761,500
Hernandez $210k
Mullins $126,250
Rawls $62,508
Saunders $150k
White $62,500

You could make a case for protecting Brandt in one of the ALT spots, if you think he'll ever be healthy. But just due to health issues I'd leave him unprotected.
 
Don Garber gave a couple interviews in Seattle the last couple of days, mostly in reaction to the shitty NYT article that came out about MLS Supporters. He did mention that Minnesota is a likely 2017 expansion candidate with Atlanta.

I know that MLS floated the idea of getting rid of the expansion draft and giving new teams more allocation money to fund signings, but nothing has been confirmed. Lets say the expansion rules are the same, who would you protect?

  • Teams get to protect 11 players on the Senior and Supplemental Roster
  • Player whose contracts expire at the end of the season, are still considered to be on the roster. Because of MLS BS, Lampard is the only player we know is expiring. Villa and Pirlo have contracts that run through 2017.
  • Generation Adidas players are automatically protected. Teams don't have to use one of their protection slots. This means that Jack Harrison is not eligible
  • DPs are not automatically protected.
  • Needs to make a minimum of 3 international players available for the draft. Must have at least 3 on the protection list.
  • Once a team has one player drafted,team can add a player to the protection list.

Not Draft Eligible:
  • Harrison (Generation Adidas)
  • Bravo (Loan)
  • Mendoza (Loan/Probably Gone Anyway)
Draft Eligible International (Pick Min 3 on Protection List/Max 7 )
  • Brillant
  • Chanot
  • Iraola
  • Johansen
  • Lampard
  • Martinez
  • Matarrita
  • Mena
  • Pirlo
  • Villa
Draft Eligible Domestic
  • Allen
  • Ballouchy
  • Brandt
  • Diskerud
  • Gomez
  • Hernandez
  • Lopez
  • McNamara
  • Mullins
  • Rawls
  • Saunders
  • Shelton
  • Taylor
  • White
So who is your protected 11? You should also have two alternates that can be added to the protection list in case, one of our players gets drafted (two in case your alternate is the one that gets drafted).
I think Gomez is currently a Loan.
 
EDIT to your DP rule: If the DP has a no-trade clause he must be protected and this counts against the 11. I don't know if our DPs have such clauses or if that is public knowledge. Absent some certainty on that, I think we have to assume that Villa and Pirlo must be protected. it's probably moot because I think the Celestes would protect them anyway.
You are right. I just didn't include it for this exercise because we don't know who does and doesn't have a no trade clause. I think Villa and Pirlo are both protected anyway like you said.
 
I think this is pretty straight forward (especially when considering cap hits):

1. Villa $457,500 DP
2. Lampard $457,500 DP
3. Pirlo $457,500 DP
4. Iraola $200k
5. Brilliant $300k
6. Chant ???
7. Mata $175k
8. RJ $63k
9. TMac $85k
10. Lopez $51,500 MLS Min
11. Gomez $51,500 MLS Min

Alt 1. Khiry $94,500
Alt 2. Balouchy $86,662

The other players listed to leave available:
Martinez $135k
Brandt $53,472
Mix $761,500
Hernandez $210k
Mullins $126,250
Rawls $62,508
Saunders $150k
White $62,500

You could make a case for protecting Brandt in one of the ALT spots, if you think he'll ever be healthy. But just due to health issues I'd leave him unprotected.
IMHO, Lampard is not coming back next season.
 
  1. Brillant
  2. Chanot
  3. Iraola
  4. Matarrita
  5. Pirlo
  6. Villa
  7. Allen
  8. McNamara
  9. Mena
  10. Lopez
  11. Whomever else we pick up during the Transfer Window/Mullins/Mix (if he is still here) (in this order)
I have been playing this game in my head for awhile - it's like Kill, Bang, Marry meets Prisoner's Dilemma for our roster. Didn't save Lampard since it is my understanding that his contract is up this year anyway. Didn't save a goalkeeper since I think we need to shop for a new one asap anyway and doubt any rational coach would take Johansen (unproven (2 starts and 2 losses to an amateur team) and an international slot). Also, the fact that a lot of our players are loans with the option to buy is brillant (that's just how I spell it now), provided that the rules permit us to pick up Bravo and Gomez's options after the Expansion Draft.

* Edited 11 to add just about anyone else - fingers crossed that it is a left winger.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Midas Mulligan
IMHO, Lampard is not coming back next season.

I hope not and we get a DP that better fits our style of play after this season. But with his current run of form, I worry the FO might give him another year. If no Lamps, then bump Ballouchy in to #11 (if we don't sign anyone else in the transfer window we might want to protect)
 
I liked the format adam adam used. I'm assuming Lampard is not interested in returning this year for my list. Also note my list isn't in any particular order (besides the alternates), I just cut/pasted names into spots.

1. Villa $457,500 DP
2. Mix $761,500
3. Pirlo $457,500 DP
4. Iraola $200k
5. Brilliant $300k
6. Chant ???
7. Mata $175k
8. RJ $63k
9. TMac $85k
10. Lopez $51,500 MLS Min
11. Khiry $94,500

Alt 1. Martinez $135k
Alt 2. White $62,500

The other players listed to leave available:
Brandt $53,472
Hernandez $210k
Mullins $126,250
Rawls $62,508
Saunders $150k
Ballouchy $86,662

I'm assuming if Mix stays past this transfer window, PV and CR have plans for him for the future and he would be a guy they would protect. Not to get all to into the Mix debate here, but I think most of the reason he isn't cracking the 18 right now is to try and move him (though this might mean he wants out and then we shouldn't protect him).
 
  • Like
Reactions: adam
I'm assuming this expansion draft would occur around the same time as the last one (beginning of December). Therefore this would be before the winter windows open for all leagues (except for Kenya and Ethiopa).
 
I like that people are protecting a dude that hasn't even signed yet. We haven't even had a random French/Belgian new poster show up, and the hype train has already left the station.
Random guy is probably better than White/Lopez.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Midas Mulligan