COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids today announced the club’s list of 12 protected players ahead of the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft on Wednesday, December 11.
Protected Players:
- Goalkeepers (1): Zack Steffen
- Defenders (5): Chidozie Awaziem, Reggie Cannon, Ian Murphy, Keegan Rosenberry, Sam Vines
- Midfielders (3): Wayne Frederick, Djordje Mihailovic, Connor Ronan
- Forwards (3): Kévin Cabral, Calvin Harris, Rafael Navarro
Players Automatically Protected:
- Goalkeepers (1): Adam Beaudry (Homegrown)
- Defenders (3): Sebastian Anderson (Homegrown), Michael Edwards (Homegrown), Jackson Travis (Homegrown)
- Midfielders (2): Cole Bassett (Homegrown), Oliver Larraz (Homegrown)
- Forwards (2): Kimani Stewart-Baynes (Generation adidas), Darren Yapi (Homegrown)
Players Available for Selection:
- Goalkeepers (1): Ethan Bandré
- Defenders (4): Lalas Abubakar, Daniel Chacón, Nate Jones, Andreas Maxsø
- Midfielders (2): Omir Fernandez, Jasper Löffelsend
- Forwards (2): Rémi Cabral, Jonathan Lewis
Midfielder Douda Amadou is ineligible for the Expansion Draft as his contract starts in January.
The MLS Expansion Draft allows 2024 league newcomer San Diego FC to build its inaugural roster by drafting up to five players from the eligible player list. The draft consists of five rounds, with San Diego FC permitted to claim only one player from any individual club.
Each MLS club may protect a total of 12 players from their roster in addition to automatically protected players, which include Generation adidas players who have not graduated and Homegrown Players aged 25 years and younger; Designated Players are not automatically protected. Players whose contract expires at the end of 2024 are still considered part of a club’s roster and eligible for selection. Once a player has been claimed from a club’s list of eligible players, San Diego FC may no longer select players from that club. Clubs that have a player selected will receive $50,000 in General Allocation Money.
The complete rules for the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft are available here.
