Atlanta United may not hit the field again until official MLS preseason begins in January, but don’t worry, the Five Stripes won’t skip a beat during offseason. Be sure to stay tuned to our social channels and ATLUTD.com for all the news regarding roster movement and player transactions. Below you’ll find a summary of what to expect and keep an eye on during this MLS offseason.
Official offseason movement began on Nov. 27 with the Option Exercise Deadline where all clubs no longer competing in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs must inform the league office of which player contract options they’re exercising or declining. Conference Championship finalists who must do the same by Dec. 1 and concordant the MLS Cup Final participants on Dec. 10.
On the morning of Dec. 10, clubs are allowed to partake in a brief, Half-Day Trade Window lasting four hours where they are able to make adjustments to their rosters including signing and trading players.
The 2017 MLS Expansion Draft will then take place on Tuesday Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. Unlike last year’s draft that featured two clubs making alternating selections (Atlanta United and Minnesota United), the single 2018 expansion side LAFC will be the only team on the clock. Click here for more details on this year’s MLS Expansion Draft.
Immediately following the Expansion Draft comes the Waiver Draft on Dec. 13 in which players who have been waived by clubs – but do not meet the minimum years of service requirement for the Re-Entry Draft or Free Agency – are available for selection.
The MLS Re-Entry Draft then comes into play via two stages, Stage 1 commencing on Dec. 15 and Stage 2 on Dec. 21. For more information regarding the Re-Entry process, draft order and player eligibility, click here.
At the turn of the year, the 2018 official MLS schedule will be released in early January followed by the annual MLS SuperDraft held in the middle of the month – details on that will be announced soon.
That’s the gist of what to expect during the MLS offseason before the players report to preseason training camp at the end of January, and of course keep an eye out for player transactions and acquisitions over the next few months. While there are no games on the pitch, offseason is where all the off-field magic happens.
