The 2024 season is over, and the Philadelphia Union might be facing the most important offseason to date after “running it back” for a 3rd consecutive season and failing to make the Playoffs for the first time since 2017. But who exactly should the Union move on from, and who deserves to stick around for the “retooling” Jim Curtin says is coming?
I’ve got no idea, but I’ll try and put myself in the shoes of Ernst Tanner and tell you what I’d do with each player the Union have to make a decision on.
WARNING: I am not an MLS Sporting Director, but instead just some idiot who was pretty good at FIFA Manager mode back in the day. Please take this with a grain of salt
Sam Adeniran
Contract: through 2024
Base Salary: $93,988.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $93,988.00
The Sam Adeniran experiment didn’t work out in Philadelphia, with the striker failing to score in his 14 total appearances over 340 minutes for the Union. A pretty easy decision, let Sam Adeniran go and bring in someone who better fits Jim Curtin and Union’s system.
Alejandro Bedoya
Contract: Expiring
Base Salary: $324,996.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $449,996.00
We’re back where we were a year ago. Ale Bedoya’s contract is up, but Union’s long-time captain says his playing career might not be – but where does his career on the pitch continue? Ale’s been a huge part of this team’s identity, and I thought he played well in a new role coming off the bench this season. But he can’t be expected to be the guy to dig Union out of sticky situations like he often was this season. I’d give Ale Bedoya one more year, as long as it doesn’t block bringing in a top-level midfielder to the club.
Jamir Berdecio
Contract: Loan through 2024
Base Salary: $89,716.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $97,910.00
The 22-year-old didn’t feature for the first team this season, but started 23 of his 28 appearances for Union II and made his first appearance with the Bolivian National Team in 2024. He’s still only young and there might be a position behind Nate Harriel next season, but I’m not sure if Union think making the loan permanent is worthwhile or not.
Jack Elliott
Contract: through 2024, option for 2025
Base Salary: $800,000.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $893,750.00
This one is hard for me. Union’s defense took a big step back in 2024, conceding 55 goals in the MLS season – 14 more than they allowed in 2023, and 29 more (and over double the amount) than they let in during their historic 2022 season.
CB is one of the positions I think Union need to improve in, especially after selling Damion Lowe to Saudi’s Al-Akhdoud this season, but I think Jack Elliott still has his place on this team. Whether you can bring in another starting-caliber CB and convince either Elliott or Glesnes to be flexible with the starting position they’ve held for years now is another question. But at the end of the day, I think I’d exercise Elliott’s option for 2025.
Leon Flach
Contract: Expiring
Base Salary: $300,000.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $314,500.00
Leon Flach’s contract expires with the conclusion of the 2024 season, and Jim Curtin has been vocal on his desire to bring Leon back next season. His future depends on what happens with some other guys on Union’s roster, but I’d bring Leon Flach back if his asking price isn’t too much, maybe around $500,000.
Olivier Mbaizo
Contract: through 2024, option for 2025
Base Salary: $350,000.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $423,589.00
I think If I’m Ernst Tanner, I’m moving on from Olivier Mbaizo at the end of 2024. It’s never been about Mbaizo not having the talent to be a consistent starter and contributor for this team, it’s always been about his ability (or lack there of) to do that on a consistent basis, often times committing mistakes in the most inopportune of times. It’s time.
Joaquin Torres (on loan)
Contract: through 2024, option for 2025
Base Salary: $300,000.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $349,800.00
Pass on the option. Union hoped Torres could act as Gazdag’s backup at the #10, but it just never really worked outside of a few flashy moments here or there. Torres isn’t really doing much out on loan for Universidad Católica in Chile, recording just 1 assist in 15 appearances. I think Joaquin Torres’ days in Philadelphia are over.
Mikael Uhre
Contract: through 2024, option for 2025
Base Salary: $1,800,000.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $2,040,000.00
Though it hasn’t been officially announced yet, Jim Curtin told us earlier this season that Mikael Uhre’s option for 2025 has already been triggered and the Danish striker will be back in Philadelphia next season, which I think is the right decision.
People will gripe on Uhre because he’s Union’s record signing and makes the most money on the team, but he does a LOT of stuff that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, and his 10 goals this season showed he’ll continue contributing as well. Some people won’t like it, but I personally have no issue with Uhre coming back next season, as long as Union bring in another striker to push for starting minutes and make their attacking group more dangerous.
Brandan Craig (on loan)
Contract: through 2024, option for 2025
Base Salary: $160,000.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $172,825.00
The loan to Austin FC didn’t work out for Brandan Craig in 2023, but the one to USL’s El Paso Locomotive FC felt like it could be much more productive for the 20-year-old defender. Unfortunately for Craig, while things in El Paso started off on a positive note, he hasn’t featured for El Paso in the previous 7 games. He doesn’t take up a ton of money and is homegrown, so I’d keep him for the 2025 season to see if there’s any way to really jumpstart the young defenders’ career.
Isaiah LeFlore
Contract: through 2024, options for 2025, 2026, 2027
Base Salary: $71,401.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $80,764.00
Isaiah LeFlore suffered a season-ending injury before anyone even caught a glimpse of him at Left Back, so It’s hard to really have an opinion here. But with such a low salary, why not trigger the option and bring LeFlore back for 2025 to see what he’s actually made of once healthy?
Matt Real (on loan)
Contract: through 2024, option for 2025
Base Salary: $155,000.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $171,500.00
Matt Real was sent on loan to USL’s Switchbacks FC this season after looking miserable in a locker room celebration video following a big Union win back in April and made 21 starts for the club. He’s got an option for the 2025 season, but at 25 years old and clearly not favored by Jim Curtin, it’s time to move on from Matt Real.
Quinn Sullivan
Contract: through 2024, option for 2025
Base Salary: $150,000.00 –
Guaranteed Compensation: $153,500.00
Easy one, bring him back. A strong year for Quinn Sullivan, who seems to finally be finding his best position in Jim Curtin’s system on the right side of the diamond. I expect a bigger year from Quinn in 2025, and expect Union to re-sign him this off-season or early next. Will be awesome to see him and Cavan get more time together on the first team next season.
Holden Trent
Contract: through 2024, option for 2025
Base Salary: $89,716.00
Guaranteed Compensation: $89,716.00
Holden Trent is effectively the 4th keeper on Union’s first-team depth chart, which is probably more than they need to carry. I’d be totally fine with Union parting ways with Trent this offseason
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
