Who Should Sporting Protect in the Expansion Draft?

Update: John Pulskamp will count as a Homegrown Player for purposes of the expansion draft so he will join the list of automatically protected players. See below to see updated list.

The 2024 MLS season is winding down with MLS Cup this weekend between the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls in Carson, California on Saturday. Once the season is over the offseason fun starts with a trade window for teams on Monday. Then Wednesday the first draft of the offseason will take place as San Diego FC will have their expansion draft.

San Diego will select up to five players from the list that teams will make available for selection. Back in October the league released the rules for teams for this year’s draft. With the draft now a week away it is a chance to take a look at the rules and see who Sporting Kansas City should protect, and who they should leave available for selection.

First the rules for protecting players. Teams can protect twelve players that were on their 2024 roster. Players whose contracts expired at the end of 2024 are still considered part of the club’s roster. Generation Adidas players who occupy roster spots 21-24 and Homegrown Players 25 or younger are automatically protected and teams do not have to use protected spots.

Designated Players are not automatically protected and must be protected or left exposed for selection. If a player has a no-trade clause in their contract that player has to be one of the team’s twelve protected players. Teams with four or more internationals (Sporting KC has five) must protect at least three of them. Teams may only lose one player in the draft.

With the primary rules out of the way, let us look at the Sporting KC roster and who they would protect. For this we will utilize the MLS club roster profiles that they published in September.

Automatically Protected

Ozzie Cisneros, Jake Davis

These two players are the only Homegrown Players on Sporting’s roster currently. Even though Sporting have declined Cisneros’s contract option for 2025 he still qualifies as a Homegrown Player on the 2024 roster. John Pulskamp was previously a Homegrown Player but is not listed as such on the profile so he would not be automatically protected.

Bonus possibility: Ian James, he appeared on the MLSPA salary announcement for the fall as being on Sporting KC. If he is technically on the roster in 2024, he would fall into the automatically protected category.

Players Out of Contract or Option Declined

Robert Castellanos, Danny Flores, Chris Rindov, Andreu Fontas, Tim Melia, Johnny Russell, Remi Walter

With the automatically protected players out of the way, this list of players will not be on the protected list. Sporting did not mention they were negotiating with any of the players who were out of contract or whose option was declined so there is no reason to believe that any of these seven players would be among the twelve players protected.

Who’s Left?

So, with that out of the way, who is left on the roster to be among the twelve players? Not counting Davis, who as stated above is automatically protected, KC has seventeen players that they have to make a decision on.

Among those seventeen players they have two goalkeepers; John Pulskamp and Ryan Schewe, six defenders; Joaquin Fernandez (I), Tim Leibold (I), Logan Ndenbe, Dany Rosero, Khiry Shelton, and Robert Voloder, four midfielders; Zorhan Bassong (I), Nemanja Radoja, Memo Rodriguez, and Erik Thommy, and five forwards; Stephen Afrifa, William Agada (I), Alan Pulido, Daniel Salloi, and Alenis Vargas (I).

First let us go ahead and get at least three internationals on the protection list; Joaquin Fernandez, William Agada and Alenis Vargas. These three seem the most likely group to be protected to start with Fernandez being the recent addition, Agada being KC’s leading scorer last season, and Vargas being the upside, young international.

With the three internationals out of the way, let us just go line by line for the other nine protected players. In goal, protecting Pulskamp (assuming the roster profile is not off, and he is automatically protected as a Homegrown Player) seems an easy one. KC has stated they are looking to add a domestic goalkeeper this winter, but this seems like Pulskamp is going to get the chance to be the starter in 2025 so protecting him is likely.

On defense along with Fernandez you protect Ndenbe, Rosero, and Voloder. These three seem straight forward given their standing, play in 2024, and salary. Ndenbe coming off an abbreviated 2024 due to recovery from his ACL tear seems an easy yes. Rosero was KC’s best defender at times in 2024 and Voloder came along as he started to get more playing time.

In the midfield you have Bassong and Thommy. You add a fourth international protected in Bassong who looked comfortable in the midfield and does give KC a depth option at left back if need be. Thommy was the most dynamic player for Sporting in 2024 and not protecting him seems unlikely.

On the front line that leaves spots for Afrifa, Pulido, and Salloi. Afrifa had a breakout season and seems to be in a good position to expand on that in 2025. Pulido is one who seems unlikely to be taken, but while I would be willing to leave him exposed for selection, I am not sure Peter Vermes will and I am also not sure he doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract. Salloi is in a similar situation where I’m not sure that Vermes will leave him available for selection in the draft.

So, with that said, here is who I think Sporting KC will protect.

John Pulskamp
Joaquin Fernandez (I)
Logan Ndenbe
Dany Rosero
Robert Voloder
William Agada (I)
Alenis Vargas (I)
Zorhan Bassong (I)
Erik Thommy
Stephen Afrifa
Alan Pulido
Daniel Salloi
Memo Rodriguez

That leaves the following players available for selection by San Diego:

• Memo Rodriguez: This may be the most likely player to be taken of the players I have left available. Rodriguez is a capable veteran to be a spot starter or come in off the bench. He was the last one left off my list of protected players and I could certainly hear many arguments for keeping him over some players on the list. If Pulskamp is automatically protected due to still being classified as a Homegrown Player, then move Rodriguez into KC’s 12.
• Ryan Schewe: The team’s third goalkeeper in 2024. Comments when he was drafted were that KC was high on him but selecting him with one of five slots does not seem likely.
• Khiry Shelton: This is a situation where I may differ from Vermes, but I feel like his salary combined with questions about his long-term viability as a right back would see him as unlikely to be selected. What would make me think he could be protected is the fact he is the only right back on the roster unless you move Davis back to right back.
• Tim Leibold (I): The one international I am leaving available for selection. With Ndenbe a full year removed from his ACL team he seems likely to be the 2025 starter and with Bassong able to slot in at left back if necessary, losing him would be manageable.
• Nemanja Radoja: A player that if KC is going to stick with the double pivot at the six in 2025 seems to struggle with that double pivot, he is a player that KC would be okay losing. Though given his salary I do not think he will.

Along with the group of players who are out of contract or on options: Robert Castellanos, Danny Flores, Chris Rindov, Andreu Fontas, Tim Melia, Johnny Russell, Remi Walter.

All this said, I still think the likelihood of Sporting having a player taken in the draft on the 11th is very low.

Do you agree/disagree with the protected list?