With the 2014 MLS Expansion Draft around the corner there's a good chance that some MLS teams will not be able to keep all the players they want this offseason, but they can now rest a little easier knowing that they will be compensated for the players picked by New York City FC or Orlando City SC.
Seattle Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer noted in his remarks at the team's end-of-year business meeting on Saturday that teams whose players are selected during the Dec. 10 Expansion Draft will be compensated with allocation money. This was later confirmed by an MLS spokesperson.
Per the MLS Roster Rules and Regulations, teams can use allocation money to sign players new to MLS, "buy-down" a player's salary budget charge and, in some cases, re-sign existing MLS players.
Not all players on MLS rosters will be available in the Expansion Draft. The non-expansion clubs can protect up to 11 players on their roster. Players on Generation adidas contracts who have not graduated from the GA program will be automatically protected. Homegrown players will be automatically protected unless they are on the Senior roster -- which, per the MLS Roster Rules and Regulations, comprises the club's "Salary Budget Players" who make up roster spots 1-20 and count against the club's salary budget.
Orlando and NYCFC will each get 10 picks in the draft, with Orlando picking first.
