SANDY, Utah (Monday, November 27, 2017) – Real Salt Lake announced that the club has exercised the contract options on four players from their 2017 roster, while 14 contracts were already guaranteed for the 2018 season, giving the club a roster that currently features 18 players under contract for next season.
The club picked up the options of defender David Horst and midfielders Luke Mulholland, Sunny and Sebastian Saucedo. As previously announced, the club also exercised the purchase option on forward Jefferson Savarino.
The contracts of the following players were already guaranteed for the 2018 season: goalkeeper Connor Sparrow; defenders Marcelo Silva, Tony Beltran, Justen Glad, Demar Phillips and Danilo Acosta; midfielders Albert Rusnák, Nick Besler and Jose Hernandez; and forwards Yura Movsisyan, Joao Plata, Luis Silva and Jordan Allen.
Additionally, RSL announced that the club has declined the contract options of goalkeeper Matt VanOekel; defenders Chris Schuler, Reagan Dunk and Justin Schmidt; midfielder Omar Holness; and forwards Chad Barrett and Ricardo Velazco. Defender Chris Wingert, midfielder Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando are all out of contract entering the offseason. Finally, forward Brooks Lennon’s loan will expire at the end of the year and he will be out of contract with Real Salt Lake.
Should RSL not reach a new agreement with any player either out of contract or who has had his option declined, the following MLS roster mechanisms would apply: VanOekel, Dunk, Schmidt and Holness would all be all eligible for the 2017 MLS Waiver Draft; Schuler would be eligible for the 2017 Re-Entry Process; and Barrett, Beckerman, Rimando and Wingert would be eligible for MLS Free Agency, or the Re-Entry Process, should they choose to participate.
A full League list of players eligible for Free Agency, the Waiver Draft and the Re-Entry Draft will be announced by MLS.
After today’s announcement, RSL’s active roster stands as follows:
Goalkeepers (1): Connor Sparrow
Defenders (6): Danilo Acosta, Tony Beltran, Justen Glad, David Horst, Demar Phillips, Marcelo Silva
Midfielders (6): Nick Besler, Jose Hernandez, Luke Mulholland, Albert Rusnák, Sebastian Saucedo, Sunny
Forwards (5): Jordan Allen, Yura Movsisyan, Joao Plata, Jefferson Savarino, Luis Silva
