Yet another round of MLS expansion kicks off on Tuesday with Inter Miami and Nashville SC both selecting up to five players. Every other existing club can only have one player stolen from their roster while protecting 12 others. So, did Atlanta United protect the right players?
First, how does this work? Each club can protect up to twelve players from their existing roster. In addition to that, each club has its homegrown and Generation Adidas players protected automatically. Designated Players are not automatically protected. Finally, players who have an expiring contract are still considered part of the current roster and can be protected, too.