Depth Chart: 3XI - Enlarged to Show Detail

The Sounders have lost more players this season than any previous MLS off-season. That's without the official losses of Pat Noonan and Nate Jaqua who could still be drafted in Stage Two of the Re-Entry Draft on Monday. But there have been three retirements, the odd departure of Miguel Montano with basically no compensation, the expansion draft loss of James Riley and the trade of Tyson Wahl for allocation money have Seattle with plenty of openings. Just not as many as you'd first think. Several players were coming off the injured list so there are 25 on the roster. So far the only addition is Michael Gspurning, but it is a large addition and the most important too.

Either three or six of those qualify for the very end of the roster with tiniest of MLS contracts available. The question being whether or not the CBA allows a player to move from one minimum to the other between seasons, but there are up to six who will be under 25 and making basically the minimum. Seattle Sounders FC's many losses of older players also open several slots for players at the "senior" roster level (spots 1-20). The crowded space is for off salary budget players in slots 21-26.

Here is our early presentation of an off-season depth chart. Now, Enlarged to Show Detail, it includes a handful of Academy players and Academy alumni who could be signed by the team as Home Grown Players. Here is MLS' simplified version of the HGP rules provided by the league website;

A club may sign a player to his first professional contract without subjecting him to the MLS SuperDraft if the player has trained for at least one year in the club’s youth development program and has met League criteria. Players joining MLS through this mechanism are known as Home Grown Players.

Each attempted HGP signing or claim has to be approved by the league office.

A reminder about the Depth Chart format. The first section is by a player's primary role on the team. Those on top are considered by SaH as more likely to start at this time. A player listed in orange has injury recovery concerns so their listing is very difficult. Starting right back is left blank, but we think Heiner Mora is likely.

The second section is by any role a player could take for a reasonable amount of time. Those in bold are starting quality for league games. Those in regular font are capable spot starters in league or regular starters in early USOC or CCL group games. The possible HGP are listed only in their primary roles.