MLS free agency officially opens on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET, when teams are allowed to negotiate with MLS players who are out of contract.
The league still makes players “qualify” for free agency. These days, that means any player who is at least 24 and has completed a minimum of four MLS service years is eligible (the MLS Players Association spells out the full list of those who meet the requirements). Just because a player is out of contract and/or entering free agency does not mean he won’t return to his most recent club – something that plenty of players wrapped up in clubs’ year-end roster decisions may ultimately do.
Nevertheless, here are the players you need to focus on once free agency opens (with their most recent team in parentheses), and be sure to stay tuned to The Athletic for breaking news on player signings and free agent movement all MLS offseason.
The Top 10MF Cristian Espinoza (San Jose Earthquakes)
For a long time, Espinoza has been one of the best under-the-radar players in MLS.
Playing in San Jose for an Earthquakes team that qualified for the postseason the same number of times as they finished dead last in the league (two) meant he didn’t play many high-profile games.
Now, Espinoza is one of the belles of the ball for free agency. A player of his age (30) and quality is rarely available as a free agent in MLS.
Around half the league has clear interest in Espinoza. The number he can be offered by another club is unclear. San Jose made an offer to keep him, The Athletic previously reported. Per MLS regulations, other MLS clubs can offer Espinoza up to 90% of that offer (if it was more than his 2025 salary, which is very likely).
A hard-working, creative winger, Espinoza is San Jose’s all-time assists leader. He routinely is near the top of chances-created charts in MLS, and he led the league in key passes this year.
Espinoza has had at least eight assists in every season (including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign) and has missed only nine of a possible 227 regular season games, with his durability another factor working in his favor.
He would improve a lot of MLS teams.
GK Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United)
The reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year is a free agent, as talks for a contract extension with Minnesota United still have not reached a breakthrough. In one day, other MLS clubs will be able to officially make him an offer.
The 28-year-old was selected by Minnesota in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft and has made 159 appearances for the club. St. Clair has 18 caps for Canada and is in contention to be his country’s starting goalkeeper at the 2026 World Cup.
A return to Minnesota still makes the most sense, but now it’s possible it won’t happen. If no deal is reached, any team who wants to sign a goalkeeper this year should be calling his representation immediately.
A sample of teams who could be in the market this winter includes: Orlando City, Nashville SC, the New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, Atlanta United, D.C. United, San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy and Sporting KC.
F Christian Benteke (D.C. United)
An undeniable bright spot for a bad D.C. United team, the 2024 MLS Golden Boot winner is a free agent after D.C. declined his 2026 contract option and Benteke announced publicly that he’d be leaving.
If Benteke will take a max TAM deal, then he’ll surely be fielding offers from all around the league.
For instance, could you imagine Benteke — statistically the most aerially dominant player in MLS history — joining Minnesota United, a team that puts more emphasis on long balls and set pieces than anyone in the league?
Benteke, who just turned 35, scored 49 goals for D.C. after arriving in 2022.
The striker has led MLS in aerial duels won since his first full season in 2023, and he is responsible for the two most aerially dominant seasons since MLS started tracking this stat (2018). To further illustrate the point, in 2024, he won 309 aerials. The pre-Benteke record was 174.
NYCFC’s Justin Haak is among the top free agents in MLS this offseason (Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
CB Justin Haak (NYCFC)
Haak’s career-best season comes at a great time for him, as the NYCFC center back is out of contract and many teams across MLS have interest in picking him up. NYCFC also hopes to retain him.
Haak broke through as a talented midfielder but didn’t quite get regular playing time for much of his career, but the NYCFC academy graduate was deployed as a ball-playing center back in 2025 and exploded.
The 24-year-old started all of NYCFC’s 34 regular season games and five postseason matches, an ironman for the team that went to the Eastern Conference final.
Legitimately, half the clubs in MLS has clear interest in signing Haak, sources briefed on the situation tell The Athletic. There is interest from Europe in Haak as well, but his camp will be fielding a ton of calls from MLS clubs on Wednesday.
GK Carlos Coronel (New York Red Bulls)
The Paraguay international goalkeeper will depart the New York Red Bulls this winter with his contract expiring. Coronel could head abroad, but he has options in MLS this winter – including interest from Orlando City, sources briefed on the situation say.
Coronel, who turns 29 this month, is in his prime. He was the Red Bulls’ starter for the last five seasons, leading the club on a memorable playoff run to the 2024 MLS Cup final.
If it’s not Orlando, then any team that needs a goalkeeper this winter should have Coronel on their list.
USMNT veteran Walker Zimmerman could be headed elsewhere this winter in MLS (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
CB Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Zimmerman won MLS Defender of the Year twice during his time with Nashville, while he has been named to MLS Best XI five times in his career. While Zimmerman is not at his peak, he is still a very good center back.
At 32 and at this stage of his career, the U.S. international is best in a team that defends a little bit deeper.
FC Dallas and Toronto FC are two clubs who may be in the mix for Zimmerman, per sources briefed on the situation. Both need defensive upgrades, and Zimmerman’s impact on a team both on and off the field is hugely beneficial.
Zimmerman began his career with Dallas, part of the team that won the U.S. Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield in 2016. He won the 2019 Shield with LAFC, the club’s first trophy, then helped guide Nashville to its first trophy this year, the U.S. Open Cup.
MF Paul Rothrock (Seattle Sounders)
Rothrock is an extremely interesting free agent who could fit a number of clubs. At 26, he’s in his prime. Rothrock will have a ton of options because of his quality, age and salary control.
Rothrock can create off the dribble, and his workrate is nonstop. Being an overqualified fourth-best attacker for any team is a perfect spot for Rothrock, as his intelligent movement opens space for himself and teammates.
Other MLS teams outside of Seattle, his incumbent club, are capped to offer him the maximum budget charge (which was $743,750 in 2025). These limits are determined by the CBA and changes per tier depending on the salary on which a player enters free agency.
Rothrock had four goals and seven assists for the Sounders in the regular season. The club would like to keep him but hasn’t found an agreement.
MF Hassani Dotson (Minnesota United)
Dotson requested a trade from Minnesota earlier this year when contract talks stalled, but unfortunately picked up a long-term injury early in the season.
Now, he’s out of contract and available to sign elsewhere and is the top box-to-box or deep-lying midfielder on the market.
Dotson, 28, was selected in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft by the Loons and went on to make 176 appearances for the club, a constant presence over the last seven seasons. He is expected to generate a lot of interest around the league.
Robin Lod remains in talks with Minnesota United but could leave after six-and-a-half seasons with the club (Kelvin Kuo / Imagn Images)
MF Robin Lod (Minnesota United)
Minnesota remains in talks to keep Lod, but no agreement has yet been reached. As of now, he’s set to enter free agency.
Lod is the best attack-minded central midfielder available in free agency. He can also play a little deeper as well. The Finland international has 12 goals and 21 assists over the last two seasons.
The 32-year-old has been durable, too, appearing in all but three of a possible 68 regular season games over that span.
GK Sean Johnson (Toronto FC)
Even at 36, Johnson is a starting-level goalkeeper in MLS. His underlying numbers remained strong in 2025 for a Toronto team in transition.
Johnson is a short-term plan for any team looking for a new GK, though the market is saturated with free agent options.
Johnson won MLS Cup with NYCFC in 2021, earning MVP honors in the final. He spent years with Chicago and NYCFC before joining Toronto in 2023 and has made 418 regular season appearances in MLS.
Best of the rest by positionGoalkeepers
Pedro Gallese (Orlando City), Joe Willis (Nashville SC), Maxime Crepeau (Portland Timbers)
It’s an incredibly strong year for free agent goalkeepers. The group is led by the trio listed above. Vancouver’s Yohei Takaoka is out of contract as well but doesn’t qualify for free agency, so he could be available, too.
Beyond that you still have Gallese, Willis and Crépeau, tested starters in this league who still should have something to give.
Gallese, 35, and Willis, 37, are likely short-term signings due to the stage of their careers, while Crépeau, 31, was benched by the Timbers this year.
Center backs
Dario Zuparic (Portland Timbers), Julio Cascante (Austin FC)
Center back is top heavy and gets thin on the free agent market this year, though Zuparic and Cascante can help potential new teams. Both had long been at the same club and will benefit from a change of scenery.
Cascante, 32, has been in MLS since 2018 and has racked up 192 appearances between Portland and Austin, the latter of which where he spent the last five seasons.
Zuparic, 33, made 182 appearances for Portland over the last six seasons.
Neither makes much sense for high-pressing teams, but can be rotational options for teams that defend a bit deeper.
Fullbacks
Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United), Brandon Bye (New England Revolution)
There are a few potential starters to be found at fullback.
The Revs still would like to retain Bye, but the two sides are not close on a new deal. Lennon, who has been with Atlanta since 2020, should also have options around the league.
Defensive midfielders
Mark-Anthony Kaye (San Jose Earthquakes), João Paulo (Seattle Sounders)
Defensive midfield is light for 2026 free agents, but both of these veterans remain excellent in possession. Ball-dominant teams would make sense as fits for both.
Attacking midfielders
Erik Thommy (Sporting Kansas City), Bryce Duke (CF Montréal), Eryk Williamson (Charlotte FC), Yuya Kubo (FC Cincinnati), Sebastian Lletget (FC Dallas)
Attacking midfield options are robust, while many of these players can play in a box-to-box role as well.
With many teams using DP spots on attacking midfielders, pathways to playing time are always at a premium for players in this position who aren’t stars, but those in this group can add to teams for the right price.
Wingers
Diego Fagundez (LA Galaxy), Corey Baird (San Diego FC), Fafa Picault (Inter Miami)
At time of writing, there has been no new deal done for Fagundez with the LA Galaxy nor Baird with San Diego. Both teams are working to keep them at their respective clubs.
Fagundez, 30, debuted in MLS in 2011 and is still a productive player. He had nine goal contributions in each of the last two seasons with the Galaxy and can play a number of roles.
Baird became a starter for San Diego after joining from Cincinnati this summer. The SoCal native looked good in the club’s high-tempo, possession-based system.
Center forwards
Willy Agada (Real Salt Lake), Josef Martínez (San Jose Earthquakes), Mikael Uhre (Philadelphia Union)
Both have cases to be among the top 10 available free agents, but MLS clubs spend most of their money at center forward, and there aren’t enough obvious starting spots for them to find.
Each does different things well. Martínez scores more goals but isn’t a player that can play in a pressing system at this stage. San Jose struggled defensively for numerous reasons, but it didn’t help that Martínez (and Chicho Arango) didn’t do much against the ball. Martinez, 32, scored 14 goals in 1,874 regular season minutes last year, both his highest totals since a devastating knee injury in 2020.
Agada, meanwhile, struggled to find the back of the net with Real Salt Lake this year, but he makes smart runs and is more active against the ball. The 26-year-old had just two goals this year but had 10 (in 1,729 minutes) in 2024.
Uhre would be in the top 10 available free agents, but the likelihood appears that he will return to Europe. If he would entertain staying in MLS, then he’d be a strong option in free agency.