Sounders decline options on nine players

Seattle Sounders FC declined options on nine players Wednesday, including defenders Zach Scott and Leo Gonzalez, who have been with the club since its 2009 entry into Major League Soccer.

Options also were declined on players who saw regular minutes in the just-completed season: Marco Pappa, Chad Barrett, Gonzalo Pineda and Micheal Azira, along with veteran No. 2 goalkeeper Troy Perkins and first-year imports Andres Correa, and Thomás.

“We did decline options on a couple of guys who have been longtime Sounders, who have given a ton for the club on and off the field,” general manager Garth Lagerwey said. “We’re really grateful for their contributions. They made us who we are and have contributed mightily, not just this year but to the (club’s ongoing seven-season run of making the playoffs). A big thank-you to those guys, whether we reach new agreements with them or not.”

The players whose options were declined become subject to the MLS re-entry, free agent and waiver draft processes. If they remain unsigned by other clubs, they would be free to resume negotiations with the Sounders, who might be interested at lower salaries.

“The majority will not (return),” Lagerwey said. “But certainly the door remains open in a couple of cases.”

One candidate could be Scott, whose history with the club dates from its USL days to his starting assignment in the Sounders’ final game of the 2015 postseason. At the right price there almost certainly would be interest in Pappa, who had three goals and six assists in 20 appearances and 17 starts last season.

“I think a lot of Marco,” Lagerwey said. “Unfortunately, the option on his contract was at a significant increase over what he made this year, and we didn’t think it provided us with the value that we needed.”

The Sounders have offers on the table to out-of-contract players Andy Rose and Andy Craven. Lagerwey noted that Rose is on trial with Coventry City of England.

Seattle and clubs across MLS can begin rebuilding their rosters Monday, the day after MLS Cup, when the trade window reopens and the various re-entry, waiver and free agency processes begin.

“I think we’re going to keep the large portion of our playoff starting contingent intact,” Lagerwey said. “I think you’ll see us changing some of our depth with the idea of (identifying) players who maybe aren’t ready to play all the time right now, but could be prepared to start in the next year or two. … Overall, the group does need to add some speed at some positions, and does need to get a little bit younger at some positions.”

The current Sounders roster is composed of goalkeepers Stefan Frei and Charlie Lyon; defenders Brad Evans, Oniel Fisher, Damion Lowe, Chad Marshall, Tyrone Mears, Jimmy Ockford, Dylan Remick and Roman Torres; midfielders Osvaldo Alonso, Erik Friberg, Andreas Ivanschitz, Aaron Kovar, Lamar Neagle and Cristian Roldan, and forwards Clint Dempsey, Darwin Jones, Vic Mansaray, Obafemi Martins and Nelson Valdez.

Lagerwey indicated that he is comfortable going into camp without a veteran backup goalkeeper behind Frei, citing his confidence in 2015 draft picks Lyon and Tyler Miller of Sounders 2.

“Keeping teams together is a constant challenge under our roster restraints, and this season is no different,” Lagerwey said in a club release. “… As we continue to shape our 2016 roster we’ll have additional announcements in the weeks ahead.”

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 10:16 PM with the headline "Sounders decline options on nine players."