It has been a predictably slow start to the Seattle Sounders offseason. When GM Craig Waibel addressed the media last week, he gave the distinct impression that this was the plan. By all indications, there is unlikely to be much action between now and the end of the calendar year.
The Sounders have 22 of 31 roster spots currently occupied, with four open spots on the senior roster and five more on the supplemental roster. As of now, they have 5 of 8 international spots available, but they will almost certainly trade some of those.
That said, here are some of the key dates to be watching out for.
Dec. 10: Free agency opens
While teams are likely already reaching out to players, they can't officially start signing anyone until the free agent signing period opens a few days after MLS Cup. There's certainly a chance that the Sounders could be active on the free-agent market, but we'll also get some clarity on the future of players like Paul Rothrock and Jon Bell, both of whom would surely be welcomed back to the Sounders if they find out that the market for their services isn't quite as hot as they hoped.
The situation is a little different for Stefan Frei and João Paulo, I think. I'm not entirely sure if Frei is actually interested in testing free agency or if he's more pondering retirement. I think the Sounders would very much like him to return, though, even if it's as a backup to Andrew Thomas. I'm more certain that João Paulo wants to keep playing. At 34, he surely has some mileage left in him but he's also coming off three consecutive seasons of declining minutes in which he's dealt with various injuries. It's entirely possible that if he doesn't find an offer he likes, he'd reconsider the opportunity to join the Sounders organizational coaching staff.
My suspicion is that the Sounders will want to see how those situations are playing out before they get particularly active in free agency themselves. When Albert Rusnák joined the Sounders as a free agent, for instance, it wasn't until Jan. 13. Of the 31 players who changed MLS teams on free transfers last offseason, 61% moved after the New Year.
Dec. 11: Re-Entry Draft Stage 1
Historically, there's not a lot of action during the Re-Entry Draft, but it's another date to keep in mind as this is when teams have a chance to pick up players whose options were declined and usually aren't eligible for free agency. To be eligible for this draft, players must be at least 22 years old and have at least one year of experience. Teams who select players must either exercise the existing contract option or extend a "bonafide offer." Last year, only three players were selected in Stage 1 and only one (Forster Ajago) made even a single MLS appearance for their new team.
Sounders eligible for this draft are goalkeeper Jacob Castro, winger Ryan Kent and left back Travian Sousa. Centerback Leo Burney doesn't meet eligibility requirements and will be available to teams via waivers.
Dec. 17: Re-Entry Draft Stage 2
Another historically inactive draft, this features players who passed through Stage 1 with the caveat that selecting teams are free to negotiate totally new contracts. Somewhat counter-intuitively, though, these players tend to actually have roles with their new teams. Three players were selected in this stage last year and all of them made at least 15 appearances for their new teams. Two years ago, this is when the Sounders picked Bell and he eventually made 42 appearances across all competitions.
Players who don't get picked in either stage of the Re-Entry Draft are effectively free agents.
Dec. 18: MLS SuperDraft
The days of this being a major production may be over – it has been conducted exclusively as a video conference since 2020 and all three rounds now take place in one day – but its importance to roster building has remained stubbornly influential.
Of the 30 players selected in last year's first round, for instance, 18 ended up signing MLS contracts and nine of those players played at least 1,000 MLS minutes. Tate Johnson, who was selected with the 15th overall pick, logged nearly 3,000 minutes across all competitions and will likely start in MLS Cup for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Yannick Bright, a 2024 SuperDraft pick, might not start for Inter Miami, but he has gotten consistent minutes for them.
The Sounders haven't used the draft much in recent years, but they did pick Kalani Kossa-Rienzi in 2024 and he logged more than 1,700 first-team minutes this year. The Sounders have also kept in contact with Trace Terry, who they picked in the third round of last year's draft. Terry wasn't signed and returned to Bowling Green for his senior year where he had 10 goals in 17 games. The Sounders retain his MLS rights until this year's draft and they could potentially sign him to a MLS Next Pro contract, which wouldn't actually exclude him from being selected by another team in the SuperDraft.
Mid-January: Preseason camp opens
No exact date has been announced, but teams usually start assembling around the middle of January. The Sounders are expected to spend at least part of preseason in Marbella, Spain, as they have each of the past three preseasons. The Sounders' first competitive game will be on Feb. 22 when they open the MLS regular season against the Colorado Rapids.
Late January: MLS transfer window opens
The exact date for the winter transfer window has not been confirmed yet, but it usually opens in late January and remains open until late April. That's when MLS teams can officially sign players who require transfer certificates, but that won't stop plenty of teams from effectively agreeing to deals before then.
