Photo: Paul Rudderow
The Philadelphia Union announced today that it has declined to take up the options on the contracts of Gabriel Gomez, Porfirio Lopez and Krystian Witkowski.
The move frees up two international spots and $439,000 in base salary ($463,790 in guaranteed compensation).
Gomez was acquired from Mexican Second Division side Indios de Cuidad Juarez on Dec. 21, 2011. The Panamanian International scored six goals over 18 starts and 24 appearances but saw his starts and playing time decline by the end of the season.
Porfirio Lopez, acquired from Chinese side Dalian Haichang on Dec. 22, 2011, started the first four games of the 2012 season. After being subbed out at the start of the second half in his first start, his only other first team appearance was 12 minutes as a sub in the 1-1 draw with Dallas on May 19.
Krystian Witkowski, acquired in the Supplemental Draft from Marist College, suffered a concussion in March and never saw first team action.
All three players are eligible for today’s Waiver Draft, which will take place at 3:30pm. The Union is fifth in the selection order of teams.
The Waiver Draft is for players who are not eligible for the Re-Entry Draft and includes players from all team’s except for MLS Cup finalists LA and Houston. A second Waiver Draft will be held held for players released by those teams after the MLS Cup on Dec. 1.
Earlier on Monday, the Union announced that Freddy Adu, Michael Farfan and Amobi Okugo were leaving for overseas training stints. Adu will spend two weeks with Galatasaray while Farfan and Okugo will join Bundesliga-side SC Freiburg.
For more information on the Waiver Draft, click here. For information on the Re-Entry Draft, click here.
Good start to the off season so far. No complaints here.
No real suprises here. Tho I still have a soft spot for Gomez.
Does this hernandez.
Oops no distracted texting.
I knew Lopez would be waived but it still feels good to see it in writing
agree this is a good start but what we need is to make sure we dont pick up any expensive baggage for the next season. we have a habit of doing this. anyone remember juan diego. i am sure sheanon, garfan and marfan do as he made the equivalent of all three of their salaries from the bench.
As a practical matter, why would the waiver draft occur before the season is over? With the finalists still playing, I assume that they would have less to put on the table as waiver material. Nevertheless, they cannot be happy with everybody that they have on their rosters either. Is there a practical benefit to anybody to do this now, rather than after the champion is determined?
I liked Gomez but it was obvious we had to let him go.
Glad Gomez is gone, but not looking forward to him terrorizing the USMNT in the Hex a la Carlos Ruiz, Marco Pappa and the several other meh MLSers who suddenly become Lionel Messi when going against the Yanks.
I thought that Gomez was a decent player for the U, though he never seemed to overcome his injury. Having such a young club, his experience could have been valued more. Lopez and Witkowski never had any significance to the club, so their absence means little. I hope that the Gomez dismissal does not lead to Carroll keeping his DCM role on the pitch. Okugo needs to be in that position.