Monday was moving day for many MLS teams as they look to cut their rosters down before the offseason really progresses in the next several weeks, and there were certainly some surprising decisions made.
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LA Galaxy defender Ashley Cole and New York Red Bulls midfielder Mike Grella were among the most-recognizable names not to return to their respective clubs, with Cole’s contract set to expire at the end of 2017.
The Galaxy did not state in their press release at to whether or not they were working on renegotiations with the former Premier League outside back.
Meanwhile, Grella missed the majority of the 2017 season for the Red Bulls with a knee injury, making the 30-year-old a solid option for another club if he can get healthy again.
Vancouver Whitecaps duo David Ousted and Christian Bolanos were also among the casualties, while Real Salt Lake have several big names out of contract starting in January, including Nick Rimando, Kyle Beckerman, Brooks Lennon and Chris Wingert.
Earlier in the day, NYCFC announced its roster moves, which included the team letting go of Mikey Lopez, Ethan White and Fredrick Brillant.
The four clubs remaining in the MLS Cup Playoffs will have the opportunity to trim their rosters down after their respective seasons are over. The two sides that exit after the conference finals will have until Dec. 1, while Dec. 10 is the cut off for the two squads that reach MLS Cup.
With Los Angeles FC set to take part in the Expansion Draft in two weeks, some of these could be in the running for selection by the new West Coast side.
