MLS Expansion Draft rules begin to trickle out

The LA Galaxy should be able to protect all their Homegrown Players in the upcoming Expansion Draft, LAG Confidential has learned. Exact rules of the Expansion Draft haven't been made public, but details are slowly starting to trickle out. An mlssoccer.com article revealed only Homegrown Players who are considered part of the senior roster have to be protected in the upcoming draft.

As Homegrown Players don't automatically count against the salary budget, which is what gives a player senior roster status, most teams won't have issue with this change. LA has all of their Homegrown Players on their Supplemental Roster, including high earner Gyasi Zardes. If teams want to pay a Homegrown Player from their salary budget they appear to have the option to do so, but it's rare.

Teams will be free to protect 11 players on their roster, and with Landon Donovan retiring it looks like at most seven players will be unprotected in the upcoming draft. All the regular starters from this season should be fine.

If the Galaxy were to lose a player, they would be compensated $50,000 in allocation funds.