Sporting Kansas City announced Friday that the club has exercised contract options for the following four players ahead of the 2019 MLS season: forward Diego Rubio, defender Graham Smith and goalkeepers Eric Dick and Adrian Zendejas.
In addition, Sporting KC has extended a bona fide offer to forward Khiry Shelton, who is out of contract at the end of the year.
Sporting KC has declined contract options for forward Kharlton Belmar, midfielder Cristian Lobato and defenders Amer Didic, Brad Evans and Colton Storm. Belmar, Lobato, Didic and Storm are eligible for the MLS Waiver Draft on Dec. 12. Evans is eligible for free agency, beginning Dec. 11, and for the MLS Re-Entry Draft, with Stage One set for Dec. 14 and Stage Two on Dec. 20.
Sporting KC now has 23 players under contract for the 2019 campaign: the four players whose contract options were exercised as well as players already under contract for 2019: Matt Besler, Gianluca Busio, Yohan Croizet, Roger Espinoza, Gerso Fernandes, Andreu Fontas, Tyler Freeman, Felipe Gutierrez, Jaylin Lindsey, Jimmy Medranda, Tim Melia, Krisztian Nemeth, Ike Opara, Johnny Russell, Daniel Salloi, Ilie Sanchez, Seth Sinovic, Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal and Graham Zusi.
For a full list of Sporting KC’s offseason roster moves, visit SportingKC.com/tracker. The club will spend its 2019 preseason in Scottsdale, Arizona, first reporting to camp on Jan. 13, before kicking off the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League in late February and the 2019 MLS regular season in early March.
Major League Soccer released its 2018 offseason calendar earlier this month. The 2018 MLS Expansion Draft will take place on Dec. 11 as FC Cincinnati prepares for its first season in the league. Because Sporting KC had a player selected in the 2017 Expansion Draft, the team is exempt from this year’s Expansion Draft. The 2019 MLS SuperDraft will take place on Jan. 11 in Chicago, with Sporting KC currently holding one pick in each of the four rounds at No. 21, 45, 69 and 93 overall.
Sporting KC players under contract in 2019
Contract terms as of Nov. 30, 2018
| Goalkeepers (3) | ||
| Player | Contract Ends | Options |
| Eric Dick | 2019 | 2020, 2021 |
| Tim Melia | 2021 | 2022 |
| Adrian Zendejas | 2019 | 2020 |
| Defenders (8) | ||
| Player | Contract Ends | Options |
| Matt Besler | 2020 | none |
| Andreu Fontas | 2022 | none |
| Jaylin Lindsey | 2021 | 2022 |
| Jimmy Medranda | 2019 | 2020 |
| Ike Opara | 2020 | 2021 |
| Seth Sinovic | 2019 | 2020 |
| Graham Smith | 2019 | 2020, 2021 |
| Graham Zusi | 2021 | none |
| Midfielders (6) | ||
| Players | Contract Ends | Options |
| Gianluca Busio | 2020 | 2021, 2022 |
| Yohan Croizet | 2020 | 2021 |
| Roger Espinoza | 2020 | none |
| Felipe Gutierrez | 2020 | 2021 |
| Ilie Sanchez | 2021 | 2022 |
| Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal | 2020 | 2021, 2022 |
| Forwards (6) | ||
| Player | Contract Ends | Options |
| Gerso Fernandes | 2019 | 2020 |
| Tyler Freeman | 2022 | 2023 |
| Krisztian Nemeth | 2019 | 2020 |
| Diego Rubio | 2019 | none |
| Johnny Russell | 2020 | 2021 |
| Daniel Salloi | 2020 | 2021 |
