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In an effort to work around the single-entity league's lack of free agents, the March 2010 collective bargaining agreement instituted a two-part Re-Entry draft, where the teams from MLS can select players who are out-of-contract or recently had their options declined. Here some basic questions will be asked and answered, to help clarify the mystique surrounding this hallowed event.
Q. When is the Re-Entry Draft?
A. The draft will take place in two parts, the first being on December 12, 2013 at 3pm EST, the second being December 18, 2013 at 3pm EST.
Q. Who is eligible for the re-entry draft?
A. As stated above, players who are out-of-contract or recently had their options declined are available for the Re-Entry draft, so long as they qualify.
Q. What are the qualifications a player needs?
A. The qualifications are dependent upon service time, based on a player's age. Players who are at least 23 years old and have a minimum of three years MLS experience qualify.
Players who are at least 25 years old and have a minimum of four years MLS experience qualify.
Players who are at least 30 years old and have a minimum of eight years MLS experience qualify.
(The other conditions determine what salary options are available to the players given their age and service time. Commenter dumbasrocks clarified this in the comments below.)
Q. So Michael Gspurning, who's over 30 years old but only has two years MLS experience doesn't qualify after having his option declined, but Mauro Rosales, who has three years MLS experience does?
A. That is correct.
Q. So what happens in the first stage of the Re-Entry draft on December 12th?
A. If a club selects a player in the first stage, that club must exercise the option of the player if their original team declined their option. However, if they were an out-of-contract player, the selecting team must offer a Bona Fide offer to the player, which usually means a minimum of 5% increase over the player's previous season's salary.
Q. What happens if the out-of-contract player and the team which selects him can't reach an agreement?
A. If the player rejects the offer, the selecting team will hold the players rights, essentially giving them rights of first refusal.
Q. Is this similar with what happened to Jeff Parke all those years ago?
A. Fairly similar, though it was a different process through which the Sounders obtained his rights.
Q. So then what's the difference between the first stage of the MLS Re-Entry Draft and the second stage on December 18th?
A. The major difference is that players whose options were declined do not have their options automatically activated if they are drafted, instead, just like with out-of-contract players, the selecting team is required to make a genuine offer to the player within seven days.
Q. What happens if a contract isn't agreed upon during those seven days?
A. Negotiations can last longer than seven days, so long as the offer was placed within that first week. However, if a contract is not agreed upon between the player and the selecting team, again the selecting team will own the player's MLS rights and have rights of first refusal.
Q. Well what happens if a player isn't selected during either stage of the draft?
A. If a player is not selected during either stage of the MLS Re-Entry draft, that player will essentially become a free agent, where no team owns his rights.
Q. Did the Sounders draft anybody last year?
A. No, but in 2011 the Sounders picked Marc Burch with the 1st selection in the second stage. In 2010 the Sounders selected Chris Seitz in the second stage.
Q. So how does the draft work exactly?
A. The teams are organized in reverse finish from the previous season, the same as allocation order, so DC United will go first with Sporting KC choosing last.
Here is the order:
1. D.C. United
2. Chivas USA
3. Toronto FC
4. Columbus Crew
5. FC Dallas
6. Philadelphia Union
7. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
8. Chicago Fire
9. San Jose Earthquakes
10. Montreal Impact
11. Colorado Rapids
12. New England Revolution
13. Seattle Sounders FC
14. LA Galaxy
15. New York Red Bulls
16. Houston Dynamo
17. Portland Timbers
18. Real Salt Lake
19. Sporting Kansas City
Each team can choose to either select a player or pass. Once a team has passed, they cannot select again. However, if a team chooses a player, they are eligible to continue drafting in the second round. If only two teams select a player, those same two teams are the only two who are allowed to draft in the second round. Once all teams have passed, the draft is over.
Q. Can teams trade draft spots?
A. Yes they can.
Q. Which players are eligible?
A. * indicates a player is out-of-contract. All other players had their option declined.
| Team | Player | Pos. | 2013 Base Salary |
| Chicago Fire | Corben Bone | M | $46,500.00 |
| Chicago Fire | Shaun Francis | D | $46,500.00 |
| Chicago Fire | Joel Lindpere | M | $180,000.00 |
| Chicago Fire | Daniel Paladini | M | $86,625.00 |
| Chicago Fire | Logan Pause | M | $180,000.00 |
| Chicago Fire | Chris Rolfe | M | $225,000.00 |
| Chicago Fire | Maicon Santos | F | $157,000.00 |
| Chicago Fire | Wells Thompson* | M | $105,000.00 |
| Chicago Fire | Michael Videira | M | $46,500.00 |
| Chivas USA | Ante Jazic* | D | $132,187.50 |
| Chivas USA | Steve Purdy | D | $80,004.00 |
| Chivas USA | Josue Soto | M | $35,125.00 |
| Columbus Crew | Danny O'Rourke | M | $170,000.00 |
| Columbus Crew | Konrad Warzycha | M | $46,500.00 |
| Colorado Rapids | Steward Ceus | GK | $60,000.00 |
| Colorado Rapids | Brian Mullan | D | $162,000.00 |
| Colorado Rapids | Jamie Smith | M | $46,500.00 |
| DC United | Dwayne De Rosario | M | $600,000.00 |
| DC United | James Riley | D | $140,000.00 |
| DC United | Carlos Ruiz | F | $75,000.00 |
| DC United | Marcelo Saragosa | M | $110,000.00 |
| DC United | John Thorrington | M | $150,000.00 |
| DC United | Daniel Woolard | D | $100,000.00 |
| FC Dallas | Kenny Cooper | F | $325,000.00 |
| FC Dallas | David Ferreira | M | $625,000.00 |
| FC Dallas | Ugo Ihemelu | D | $200,000.00 |
| Houston Dynamo | Bobby Boswell* | D | $220,000.00 |
| Houston Dynamo | Calen Carr* | F | $90,338.00 |
| Houston Dynamo | Mike Chabala | D | $55,008.00 |
| Houston Dynamo | Alex Dixon | M | $49,612.50 |
| Houston Dynamo | Cam Weaver | F | $100,000.00 |
| LA Galaxy | Colin Clark | M | $80,000.00 |
| LA Galaxy | Laurent Courtois | M | $46,500.00 |
| LA Galaxy | Sean Franklin | D | $225,000.00 |
| LA Galaxy | Pablo Mastroeni* | M | $150,000.00 |
| Montreal Impact | Sinisa Uriparipovic | M | $57,750.00 |
| New England Revolution | Kevin Alston* | D | $145,000.00 |
| New England Revolution | Chad Barrett | F | $105,000.00 |
| New England Revolution | Ryan Guy | F | $48,510.00 |
| New England Revolution | Clyde Simms | M | $87,500.00 |
| New England Revolution | Juan Toja | M | $275,000.00 |
| New York Red Bulls | Andre Akpan* | F | $67,595.00 |
| New York Red Bulls | Brandon Barklage | D | $65,000.00 |
| New York Red Bulls | Fabian Espindola | F | $150,000.00 |
| New York Red Bulls | Kevin Hartman | GK | $46,500.00 |
| New York Red Bulls | Heath Pearce* | D | $331,236.00 |
| Philadelphia Union | Chris Albright* | D | $75,000.00 |
| Portland Timbers | David Horst | D | $70,000.00 |
| Portland Timbers | Ryan Miller | D | $60,000.00 |
| Real Salt Lake | Yordany Alvarez | M | $46,500.00 |
| Real Salt Lake | Brandon McDonald | D | $235,000.00 |
| Real Salt Lake | Josh Saunders | GK | $90,000.00 |
| Real Salt Lake | Khari Stephenson | M | $77,500.00 |
| Seattle Sounders | Marc Burch | D | $75,000.00 |
| Seattle Sounders | Josh Ford | GK | $46,500.00 |
| Seattle Sounders | Blair Gavin | M | $35,125.00 |
| Seattle Sounders | Mauro Rosales | M | $200,000.00 |
| Seattle Sounders | Steve Zakuani* | F | $135,000.00 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Nana Attakora | D | $61,665.00 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Mehdi Ballouchy* | M | $152,006.00 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Dan Gargan | D | $88,000.00 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Evan Newton | GK | $46,500.00 |
| Toronto FC | Justin Braun* | F | $112,200.00 |
| Toronto FC | Bobby Convey | M | $200,000.00 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | Joe Cannon | GK | $180,500.00 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | Tommy Heinemann | F | $51,975.00 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | Corey Hertzog | F | $50,004.00 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | Brad Knighton | GK |
$66,000.00 |
If you have anymore questions, ask them in the comments.