Real Salt Lake Exercises Options on Six Players for 2019

SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, November 27, 2018) – Real Salt Lake announced that the club has exercised the contract options on six players from their 2018 roster, while 15 contracts were already guaranteed for the 2019 season, giving the club a roster that currently features 21 players under contract for next season.


The club picked up the options of goalkeeper Andrew Putna, defenders Danilo Acosta and Nick Besler and forwards Corey BairdSebastian Saucedo and Jefferson Savarino.


The contracts of the following players were already guaranteed for the 2019 season: goalkeepers Alex Horwath and Nick Rimando; defenders Justen Glad, Adam Henley, Aaron Herrera, Brooks Lennon, Nedum Onuoha and Marcelo Silva; midfielders Kyle Beckerman, Damir Kreilach, Pablo Ruiz and Albert Rusnák; and forwards Jordan Allen and Joao Plata.


Further, the club announced last month that it has signed RSL Academy product Julian Vazquez and he will join the roster for the 2019 season.


Additionally, RSL announced that the club has declined the contract options of goalkeeper Connor Sparrow; defenders Shawn Barry, Tony Beltran, David Horst, Taylor Peay and Demar Phillips; midfielders Jose Hernandez, Luke Mulholland and Sunny; and forwards Ricky Lopez-Espin and Luis Silva.


Should RSL not reach a new agreement with any player either out of contract or who has had his option declined, the following MLS roster mechanisms would apply: Barry, Hernandez, Lopez-Espin, Peay and Sparrow would all be all eligible for the 2018 MLS Waiver Draft; Mulholland, Phillips and Sunny would be eligible for the 2018 Re-Entry Process; and Beltran, Horst and Silva would be eligible for MLS Free Agency, or the Re-Entry Process, should they choose to participate.


A full League list of players eligible for Free Agency, the Waiver Draft and the Re-Entry Draft will be announced by MLS.


After today’s announcement, RSL’s active roster stands as follows:


Goalkeepers (3): Alex Horwath, Andrew Putna, Nick Rimando
Defenders (8): Danilo Acosta, Nick Besler, Justen Glad, Adam Henley, Aaron Herrera, Brooks Lennon, Nedum Onuoha, Marcelo Silva
Midfielders (4): Kyle Beckerman, Damir Kreilach, Pablo Ruiz, Albert Rusnák
Forwards (6): Jordan Allen, Corey Baird, Joao Plata, Sebastian Saucedo, Jefferson Savarino, Julian Vazquez