No one is going to argue that the MLS waiver draft is a sexy part of the off-season. The league, and especially Seattle, is still not recovered from the MLS Cup. Then Tuesday brought the exciting expansion draft as two new franchises grow the league in 2017. So even in an active year for the waiver draft, it isn’t a marquee event of its own week. This edition, though, might have been the saddest of MLS draft events.
Now the MLS has approximately 812 rules when it comes to player movements and signings. Okay, not exactly, but sometimes it can feel like that trying to understand the complicated and shrouded MLS rule book. As the MLS states “The Waiver Draft consisted of players who had been waived by their clubs but didn't meet the minimum years of service requirement for the re-entry draft or free agency.”
Any player taken in this draft mechanism would then have to be offered a serious contract and agree to it before the move. So you have to ask, what’s the point then if the player can turn it down? Well the MLS has a rule and order for how every single classification of player is allowed to move teams and who has precedence. So while the risk of team’s complaining over dealings with these players, the motions of the event must go on.
On Wednesday the league released the list of 43 players that were now eligible for any club to make a move for. Honestly, 80 to 90 percent of the players are deep roster guys that even the regular MLS fan wouldn’t recognize. However, two key names stood on on the list this year.
First, Shaun Wright-Phillips was waived by the New York Red Bulls. MLS-only fans will know him as the less-effective brother of star striker Bradley. For the rest of the soccer world, they will know that Shaun was always considered the standout brother. Nearly 300 appearances in the Premier League, almost 40 goals and 36 caps for the England national team. An EPL champion, with international experience and still solid speed. On Thursday, every single MLS club passed on him — even the brand new franchises, including Minnesota with a roster featuring just one forward.
The other was Brazilian international Julio Baptista. This guy has won La Liga with Real Madrid. Won the Confederations Cup and Copa America with Brazil. His resume also features Arsenal, Roma, Sevilla, Sao Paulo and Malaga. Clearly, experience wasn’t the issue here, but his 35 years of age. Because yes, he too was passed on by every single team.
Other players of note included Cedric Mabwati, who had several strong attacking games for the Columbus Crew. The Sounders offered up Darwin Jones, while newly signed San Jose Earthquakes striker Innocent Emeghara appears to have been shown the door quickly.
In fact no one was taken in the entire event, which begs the question can we please stop this misery. All the league managed to do was point out 43 players that weren’t wanted by their home club, and any other club. The MLS off-season is already full of events and can easily do away with this one.
All 43 players from the Waiver Draft are now eligible to talk and sign with any team that they wish, in or out of the MLS. Up next is the start of the re-rntry draft, which runs from Friday, December 16th tp Thursday, December 22nd, closing formal MLS activity for 2016.
