money Columbus Crew leave Kevin Molino, Josh Williams, others exposed in 2021 MLS Expansion Draft
The Crew left 13 players from the 2021 season roster exposed for the 28th franchise in MLS, Charlotte FC, to potentially pick in Tuesday's MLS Expansion Draft.
Of those players, only four are still with the team after postseason roster decisions. The biggest names that the Crew could potentially lose are winger Kevin Molino and center back Josh Williams.
The other two players currently under contract with the Crew who could be taken are midfielders Marlon Hairston and Perry Kitchen.
The remaining nine players left unprotected are goalkeepers Evan Bush and Eric Dick, defenders Saad Abdul-Salaam, Waylon Francis, Harrison Afful, Vito Wormgoor, Grant Lillard, and forwards Bradley Wright-Phillips and Erik Hurtado.
Rules permitted clubs to protect up to 12 roster players, not including Homegrown players. Midfielders Aidan Morris, Sebastian Berhalter and Isaiah Parente, and defender Aboubacar Keita were automatically protected because they were signed to Homegrown contracts having played for Crew Academy.
The Crew protected Lucas Zelarayan, Darlington Nagbe, Gyasi Zardes, Miguel Berry, Pedro Santos, Jonathan Mensah, Eloy Room, Milton Valenzuela, Steven Moreira, Alex Matan, Luis Diaz, Derrick Etienne Jr., and Artur.
The expansion draft for Charlotte FC takes place at 7 p.m.Tuesday.
Charlotte will select five players and cannot select more than one player from a single club, meaning 17 of 22 MLS clubs not exempt from the expansion draft will not have a player taken.
Because the Crew had a player taken in the 2019 MLS expansion draft by Inter Miami, they were exempt from the 2020 expansion draft when Austin FC entered the league. The Crew are now eligible again because it did not have a player taken in 2020.
It's unlikely Molino will be taken because he will miss at least half the 2022 season following an ACL injury this past season. The Crew signed Molino to a three-year deal prior to the 2021 season as the piece to help lift the attack to new heights. He struggled with multiple injuries and only scored one goal with no assists in 11 games.
If he is selected, it would take a big liability off the Crew's balance sheet and allow for more room under the salary cap. Molino's 2021 base salary was $667,000, according to the players' union salary database.
Leaving one of their starting center backs unprotected is a gamble for the Crew. Williams has been a steady presence for the defense the past two seasons and is a fan favorite.
The Crew opted to protect starting left back Milton Valenzuela despite his being unsigned at the moment. He and the club continue to engage in contract negotiations. Both the Crew and Valenzuela have stated their interest in getting a deal done.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: The Columbus Crew left these players unprotected in 2021 MLS Expansion Draft
