MLS Deadline Day open thread; summer 2023
The Seattle Sounders are tight against the salary cap. The window closes tonight. Follow the action or inaction with us.
While the closing of the secondary transfer window isn’t the last opportunity to add talent, it is the final chance for MLS sides to acquire players who are currently under contract with another club internationally. The window closes tonight at 10:00 PM PT, though deals could still be publicly announced in the coming days as long as key paperwork is filed ahead of the deadline.
Seattle Sounders are very close to the salary budget, so it is unlikely that they will add someone significant.
There are ways that they could open up space;
- They have not used their one-time buyout available this season. Depending on who is bought out this could open up unlimited transfer budget and some cap space.
- They could move Xavier Arreaga to the SEI, opening up a tiny amount of cap space.
- They could trade players within MLS to open up more space.
- They could sell a young player abroad and just hours later make a splash signing.
- They could extend their pricey talent over a couple more years, dropping them below the DP threshold.
None of these are likely in the next several hours. Craig Waibel had indicated prior to Leagues Cup that he was happy with the roster.
They could also search for a no-fee loan from a wealthy club.
This is also not likely.
What Craig Waibel & Co. have available is probably a senior roster slot and a supplemental roster slot with a couple hundred thousand of allocation money that they must spend, along with a single international roster slot.
Other teams are also adding and subtracting. Several much worse teams decided to shuffle their deck chairs and swap with each other. Galaxy, Rapids, Austin have all made significant moves.
Tonight is also the trade deadline.
All that remains after this evening is the ability to sign players who are free agents as of the close of the transfer window and players from within the Canadian-American soccer system from lower leagues, particularly those from within their own developmental system — like a Defiance player.