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We now have a much better idea of who will be in a Philadelphia Union kit next season, as the club finally publicly released the lists of players whose contract options were declined and who are out of contract. While the list had been leaked and pieced together through other various reports, this officially confirmed what most of us knew already. There was no explanation why there was a delay, and the Union were the last team to publicly release their lists.
Below is a list of players who had their contract options declined or are out of contract, their positions, and their 2015 Guaranteed Compensation:
Player | Position | Base Salary | Compensation | Status |
Zac MacMath | GK | 130,000.00 | 130,000.00 | Option declined |
D | 400,000.00 | 400,000.00 | Option declined | |
Fred | M | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | Option declined |
M | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | Option declined | |
M | 125,000.00 | 131,666.67 | Option declined | |
M | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | Option declined | |
F | 60,000.00 | 75,000.00 | Option declined | |
F | 180,000.00 | 180,000.00 | Option declined | |
F | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | Option declined | |
M | 108,500.00 | 119,000.00 | Option declined | |
Fabinho | D | 114,000.00 | 118,500.00 | Out of contract |
M | 150,000.00 | 150,000.00 | Out of contract | |
M | 108,900.00 | 112,233.33 | Out of contract | |
Fernando Aristeguieta | F | 350,004.00 | 350,004.00 | Out of contract |
D | 93,519.00 | 108,519.00 | Out of contract |
The Union qualified the list by saying that they were in advanced discussions to bring back Creavalle as well as negotiations with Fabinho, Carroll, and Lahoud. It also stated that it was in discussions with FC Nantes about possibly extending Fernando Aristeguieta's loan (originally supposed to end back in July), and that goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre was still on loan from the Carolina RailHawks of the NASL.
There's a lot of money that has theoretically been freed up - just over $2.1 million in total salary, almost $1.7 million of which was on the Union's books in 2015 (these figures include all players listed, even those who may still return). Vitoria was perhaps the biggest waste of salary, following in a long tradition of Union players (Juan Diego Gonzalez, Kleberson, Bakary Soumare) who make exorbitant salaries to primarily sit on the bench.
It will be interesting to see which of these players (if any) will be re-signed by the Union, and if they will elect to take anyone from either the Free Agent market or in the Re-Entry Draft.