RSL Releases Eligible Player List Ahead Of MLS Expansion Draft

SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake has released its list of 11 players that will be unprotected ahead of the St. Louis City SC MLS Expansion Draft unprotected.

Nick Besler, Scott Caldwell, Maikel Chang, Tomás Gómez, Bret Halsey, Erik Holt, Johan Kappelhof, Jonathan Menéndez, Rubio Rubín, Marcelo Silva, and Bobby Wood are all available to be selected by St. Louis City SC.

St. Louis City SC will have 5 selections from 263 players to choose from. Austin FC, Los Angeles Football Club, Atlanta United, D.C. United, and New York City FC are all exempt from having players drafted after Charlotte FC drafted players from those clubs in 2021 – the previous MLS Expansion Draft.

The list of eligible players for St. Louis City to select in tomorrow night's Expansion Draft is out. A ton of interesting names. I'll have a full deep dive and breakdown soon.

Bedoya. Dax. Klimala. Shinyashiki. Muyl. Trapp. Ragen. DePuy. Bou. And more.https://t.co/eMF42qFwQ2

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) November 10, 2022

Once St. Louis City SC chooses a player from a club, St. Louis will not be able to draft another player from that same club. The five expansion draft selections must occur from different clubs.

Marcelo Silva Contract Situation

Interestingly, Silva is currently an MLS free agent. The club has confirmed to KSL Sports that contract negotiations between Silva and the club are ongoing. However, he is still listed as an unprotected player entering the Expansion Draft. If Silva is selected in the Expansion Draft, he would remain an MLS Free Agent and would have the option to sign with any club in the league, the same option he has now.

Silva would still be able to sign with Real Salt Lake following the expansion draft regardless if he is picked or not. By adding Silva to the list, the club can protect another player.

Silva has publically stated that he wants to finish his career at Real Salt Lake. He does not want to leave. Understandably, the club is eager to have him return ahead of the 2023 season. During 2022, Silva wore the captain’s armband for the majority of the year and performed admirably. It was Silva’s most injury-free and consistent MLS season to date.

The draft is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 11, at 5 p.m. and will be available to stream via St. Louis CITY SC’s YouTube and simulcast on MLSsoccer.com, the MLS App, Twitter, and Twitch.