Orlando City Passes on Stage 1 of the 2015 MLS Re-Entry Draft

Orlando City declined to select any players in the first phase of the 2015 MLS Re-Entry Draft yesterday, choosing not to add any of the league’s returning veterans to the roster. This in itself is not surprising. Only FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City opted to take part in the draft, with the Hoops taking ex-Portland forward Maximiliano Urruti with the first pick and SKC grabbing ex-Chicago goalkeeper Alec Kann with the 11^th pick. All other teams passed.

Last season, the Lions also passed in the first stage of the Re-Entry Draft. However, Orlando grabbed goalkeeper Josh Ford from Seattle in the second stage, held the following week. This year’s second phase will take place on Thursday at 3 p.m. and City may be active again.

Why do most teams pass on the first stage? If a club selects a player in Stage 1, the team must exercise the option for, or extend a Bona Fide Offer to, the player selected. If the player then rejects the offer, the drafting club holds that player's right of first refusal. Players with option years remaining on their contract will be added to the team's roster.

However, if a team waits until Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft, the club can negotiate a new deal with players they select. This is a way to get the same player a team may be interested in at a lower cost.

Orlando let go of a lot of depth players after the 2015 season. Guys like Lewis Neal, Eric Avila, Corey Ashe, Danny Mwanga and others will have to be replaced. Chief Soccer Officer Armando Carneiro obviously thought the Lions could upgrade those spots this off-season. Useful players like Jairo Arrieta, Robbie Findley, Mauro Rosales and others could have been added. Perhaps Orlando will take a flyer on one of them (or someone else) in Stage 2, to try to get them for less money.

The benefits of selecting a player in Stage 1 is that the club pretty much gets its pick of whoever is available, and can add depth to its roster with an experienced player. The cons are that those players are often overpriced or have not met expectations elsewhere. By passing in Stage 1, a team risks not getting a player in which it is interested, but it may get that same player in Stage 2 for less money. So, it’s a bit of a gamble for some teams that need to add quality depth. For Orlando City, the Re-Entry Draft process offers a chance at picking up a veteran goalkeeper to compete with Earl Edwards Jr. for the No. 1 spot or a veteran forward who can spell Cyle Larin, or add depth to the back line or attacking midfield.

City will have the seventh selection again on Thursday. Below is a list of available players:

Which players on the list do you think could help Orlando City in 2016?