Building a shopping list

As each team falls away from the second season, their 2025 fading into memory, they are forced to let go of talents in attempts to build a better side for 2026. While not required to announce roster decisions for a few weeks, some leaders help their now-former players on that quest to find a new team faster.

Eight teams already announced roster decisions. Seattle Sounders are not one of those, though Jeremiah and Niko have a trickle of information coming out prior to the official announcement.

Options picked up - Yeimar, Danny Musovski
Options declined - Ryan Kent, João Paulo

Option decisions remain unknown for Nouhou, Kim Kee-Hee, Obed Vargas, Jacob Castro, Travian Sousa, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Osaze De Rosario, and Leo Burney. Jon Bell, Stef Frei and Paul Rothrock are out of contract and will be free agents on Dec. 10.

MLS Communications will make the complete list of Free Agents available on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Of the already known free agents, from teams that ranged from awful to mediocre, there are a handful of talents you've heard of – those probably aren't a good fit for Seattle in 2026.

Former Sounders defenders Eriq Zavaleta, Damion Lowe and Daniel Steres fit that mold. Combined they had fewer than 1,000 minutes in 2025 and all are older than 30. While they may have once fit as return-to-Seattle concepts, that is now unlikely.

Two keepers may make sense if Seattle and Frei part ways – Stef Cleveland and Maxime Crépeau. Hunter Sulte may make sense as a third keeper.

One attacking option intrigues me. Most of the wingers and forwards are no-attack, solid defense types. Seattle probably needs a forward, even if Moose is retained. Having only three (and a half, respecting Ferreira) on the roster meant the third forward started in a trophy game. There was no sub available to play the role.

Mason Toye put up poor 'real numbers.' The fundamental per 90s look strong – similar to Musovski's pre-Sounders era in the attack but capable as a passer and defender.

Among Toye's statistical comps in MLS are Petar Musa, Sam Surridge, Prince Owusu and Tani Oluwaseyi (who left midseason for Villareal). Toye won't put up their raw contributions. He's clearly a bench player.

A team that needs a forward should look at the 27-year-old to help, but not save an offense.

Other players are going to come available, both from MLS and the USL levels. All of North Carolina is out of contract since they decided to fold and reboot in the D1-to-come version of USL. That includes Oalex Anderson, who has 17 goals and 5 assists in about 3,000 minutes over the last two years. Yes, he's 30 now.

Seattle will add a few talents from within the US and Canada. These should be expected to be fringe talents who help rebuild the backend of the roster and Defiance (who need significant help after losing all of their top end talent consistently for years).

The shopping list within MLS may not be as fun as DP and U22 speculations, but it's a portion of rosterbation that got the Sounders Moose, Bell, Rothrock and Ragen. Three of those outperformed average MLS DP value in 2026 and the fourth outperformed non-MLS U22s.

MLS free agency and bargain bin shopping isn't exciting – but it's how winning teams keep winning.