RSL declines options on Findley, Maund, Mansally, Balchan and Lopez

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The 2014-2015 offseason has officially begun as Real Salt Lake decided not to pick up club options on four of its players on Monday. The club did not exercise 2015 options on forward Robbie Findley, center back Aaron Maund or outside backs Rich Balchan and Abdoulie Mansally. Late Monday, the club officially announced the moves and it included a new name: Benji Lopez. The 19-year-old Homegrown product signed with the club in the summer of 2013 as the club's fifth HGP. The San Diego, Calif., native never made a first-team appearance during his time with RSL.

RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey told the Tribune on Friday that the club exercised options on every other player on the 2014 roster and added that the club has already had productive conversations with Mansally on a possible new contract. In the release from the club, Mansally's name was not part of the list of players whose options weren't picked up, which could assume talks to bring the defender back for a fourth season with RSL are moving along.

Lagerwey also said the club has extending qualifying offers to out-of-contract players like Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert and midfielder Cole Grossman, who was on a two-week trial at Norweigan club Stabaek after RSL's season commenced. Lagerwey said the club made what is called a Bona Fide Offer to the out-of-contract trio. Players may either accept their offers or reject it. If Borchers, Wingert or Grossman reject RSL's offer then they'll become part of the Re-Entry Draft.

Stage 1 of the 2014 MLS Re-Entry Draft is Friday, Dec. 12. RSL has the No. 13 pick in the first round. Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft is Thursday, Dec. 18, in which RSL also has the No. 13 pick. The priority of the order for this portion of the Major League Soccer offseason is the reversed order of finishes in the 2014 regular season, also taking into account playoff performance.

As noted on the MLSSoccer.com's Roster Rules and Regulations page, players available to all teams in the first stage of the Re-Entry Draft follow these parameters:

1. Players who are at least 23-years-old and have a minimum of three years experience in MLS whose options were not exercised by their clubs (available at option salary for 2015).

3. Players who are at least 30-years-old with a minimum of eight years of MLS experience who are out of contract and whose club does not wish to re-sign them (available for at least 105 percent of their 2014 salary).

Players who aren't selected in Stage 1 on Dec. 12 will be available on Stage 2 on Dec. 18. Clubs selecting players in Stage 2 have the ability to negotiate new salary terms with the player selected. Those who aren't selected through either stage of the Re-Entry Draft will be available to any MLS club on first-come, first-serve basis.

Findley played in 16 league matches in 2014, starting eight and notching one goal. The 29-year-old forward, brought back to the club from England in Jan. 2013, underwent knee surgery a week after the 2013 MLS Cup final and faced a lengthy rehab in 2014. He scored 36 goals during six career seasons with RSL. Findley remains RSL's all-time leading playoff goal scorer with six goals in 14 postseason matches.

Maund, acquired by RSL in Dec. 2012, saw time as a back-up center back option throughout his time with the club seeing time in 11 matches across all competitions.

Balchan signed a contract with RSL in March 2013 after a slew of unfortunate injuries with his first MLS club, the Columbus Crew. The former No. 11 pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft saw time in just four matches in his two seasons with RSL, starting in three.

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani