Toronto FC has left designated player Lorenzo Insigne unprotected in the MLS expansion draft, fully aware that his hefty salary is likely to discourage San Diego FC from selecting him.
MLS teams are allowed to protect 12 players from their senior and supplemental rosters for the draft, which takes place Wednesday. San Diego FC can pick up to five players, but no more than one from each team.
Insigne, 33, is the highest-profile player left unprotected and also carries the biggest salary. His $15.4 million wage is the second-highest in MLS, only behind Lionel Messi’s $20.5 million with Inter Miami this season. Insigne had four goals and seven assists in 23 league games during an injury-plagued campaign.
Toronto has taken a similar approach before, exposing Julian de Guzman, the club’s first designated player, in both the 2010 and 2011 expansion drafts. De Guzman, whose salary ranged from $1.72 million to $1.91 million, went unchosen in both instances.
In contrast, Toronto has chosen to protect fellow Italian designated player Federico Bernardeschi, whose $6.3 million salary is the fifth-largest in the league.
Players made available by Toronto include Aime Mabika, Shane O’Neill, Prince Owusu, and Greg Ranjitsingh, whose options for 2025 were not picked up. Additionally, midfielder Cassius Mailula, on loan with Moroccan club Wydad Athletic Club through July 2025, is also available.
Other available players include Honduran midfielder Deybi Flores and defenders Raoul Petretta and Sigurd Rosted, all of whom featured regularly this season.
CF Montreal has left designated player Victor Wanyama unprotected. The 33-year-old midfielder, whose contract expires at the end of the year, played in only 12 league games this season.
Available players from Montreal include Gabriele Corbo, Grayson Doody, Raheem Edwards, Ilias Iliadis, Lassi Lappalainen, Josef Martínez, Matteo Schiavoni, and Robert Thorkelsson, whose contract options for 2025 were declined.
Vancouver Whitecaps have also exposed several players, including Damir Kreilach, Fafa Picault, Ryan Raposo, and Alessandro Schöpf. Schöpf and Picault’s 2025 options were not exercised, while Raposo’s contract expires at the end of the year.
San Diego’s roster currently includes seven players, including designated player Hirving (Chucky) Lozano, who was signed in June from PSV Eindhoven. Other players include U.S. youth international goalkeeper Duran Ferree, Northern Ireland’s Paddy McNair, American winger Alex Mighten, and Colombian forward Tomas Angel.
San Diego’s coach is Mikey Varas, former U.S. under-20 coach, and Tyler Heaps serves as sporting director and general manager.
The team, whose ownership includes San Diego Padres star Manny Machado, will start its inaugural season on Feb. 22-23 against the LA Galaxy, followed by their home opener on March 1 against St. Louis City FC.
If a player is selected in the draft, the team loses the player and receives $50,000 in general allocation money. Trades can also affect the draft outcome, as seen when Austin FC selected Canadian defender Kamal Miller in 2020 before trading him to Montreal.
