This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Real Salt Lake did Wednesday in the 2014 Chivas USA Dispersal Draft. Tasked with the No. 10 pick from a selection of players from the now-defunct Southern California club, RSL decided it best not to take a player available at that spot. Seven players were selected by the league's 20 clubs entering the 2015 Major League Soccer season. Each player picked is chosen at their full 2015 budget options and their options must be exercised for the 2015 campaign.
Former Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy went No. 1 overall to FC Dallas after starting at Chivas since 2011. Jason Kreis' New York City FC chose 20-year-old midfielder Matthew Dunn with the No. 2 pick. Thomas McNamara, who saw his promising 2014 rookie season cut short due to an ACL tear, was picked fourth by D.C. United.
Former RSL Homegrown player Donny Toia was picked by Montreal at No. 6. The 22-year-old had a stellar 2014 campaign as a converted fullback for Chivas in 2014. The Colorado Rapids chose 18-year-old Chivas Homegrown player Caleb Calvert with the eighth pick and the San Jose Earthquakes picked Kris Tyrpak at No. 9. Toronto FC chose midfielder Marco Delgado at No. 14.
General manager Garth Lagerwey told the Tribune Tuesday night that RSL was open to all options regarding the Dispersal Draft. Turns out, the front office and coaching staff decided it best to pass. Whether they were interested in players chosen before No. 10 remains to be seen.
Players who weren't chosen in Wednesday's draft will take part in the Re-Entry Draft, or if they're eligible, in the Waiver Draft on Dec. 10. MLS also announced its 2014 Expansion Draft rules Wednesday. New York City FC and Orlando City will participate in a 10-round draft set for Dec. 10.
RSL and the rest of clubs in MLS can protect 11 players from respective rosters. Each club will receive allocation money from the league serving as compensation for every player lost. Like previous Expansion Drafts, once a team sees one of its players drafted, it can pull back an unexposed player.
Generation Adidas and Homegrown players on senior rosters won't be eligible to be selected, meaning RSL's Jordan Allen, Justen Glad, Lalo Fernandez and Benji Lopez are automatically protected. Designated Players are not automatically protected, either. If a DP has a no-trade clause in his contract, each club must protect him and he will count as one of the 11 protected.
In RSL's exit interviews following the conclusion of the 2014 season on Nov. 12, Lagerwey said he expects to lose two players in the Expansion Draft and expects RSL players to go No. 1 and No. 2 in the draft.
"We have our former coach who is going to be picking players," Lagerwey said last Wednesday. "I can guarantee he is going to pick one or more of ours. I think Orlando, who is picking first ahead of NYCFC, will have a lot of pressure on them to take an RSL player first overall knowing New York's probably going to take one with the second pick, and that would pull a player back once we lose a player. So if Orlando does not take an RSL player first, they're getting at best the third-best exposed best RSL player, so my prediction is that RSL players will go one and two overall in the Expansion Draft
"I think we will lose players with absolute certainty and so when you ask if there's going to change? There's going to be change. We need to embrace it and I think I've done five Expansion Drafts and I still haven't figured out how to make your team better while losing one or more starters, so I can guarantee you we will get worse on Dec. 10. But that's the business and you look at the big picture and you say, 'Hey, the league's growing, that's why we have these things and that's a positive for all of us going forward.'"
The added wrinkle of an Expansion Draft for two new MLS clubs adds what Lagerwey expects to "create a wheeling-dealing atmosphere for the next three weeks."
The Dispersal Draft has come and gone. Next up: A half-day trade window on Dec. 8 open from 7 to 11 a.m. MDT where clubs may trade during the window or re-sign their own players. It also happens to be the day RSL must submit its list of 11 protected players for the Expansion Draft.
-Chris Kamrani
Twitter: @chriskamrani