It all started with an expansion draft.
Ahead of Los Angeles FC’s inaugural season in 2018, an MLS Expansion Draft was held to choose 5 players from various MLS sides to join them. As usual, MLS teams can protect a certain amount of players from being picked, while others are left unprotected, whether the franchise likes it or not.
Toronto FC decided to leave Canadian Raheem Edwards off that protected list. They had a lot of great players to protect from Victor Vazquez to Sebastian Giovinco after its championship season, and while the winger/wingback had a standout season in 2017, it wasn’t good enough to warrant him one of the valuable protected slots.