Philadelphia Union pass on MLS SuperDraft selections yet again
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Union passed on yet another MLS SuperDraft pick, marking four years since they made a selection. The last time the Union actually made a pick was in 2018 with the 77th pick and since then, they have traded away all 12 of their SuperDraft selections.
The MLS SuperDraft is just like another professional sports league where collegiate athletes are eligible to be drafted to go and play for an MLS team. The draft was started back in 2000, and is divided into three rounds.
The draft is ordered by team record with the worst teams selecting in the beginning. Any expansion team will always get the first pick to help with the construction of their team and to give them a somewhat of a fair advantage.
Two players were taken with the Union’s picks that they traded away. One player was for $50,000 in guaranteed allocation money to Nashville SC last year and the other as part of the loan deal that brought in Julián Carranza from Inter Miami.
It is interesting to see the Union continuing to trade their Super Draft picks away, but they have proven to be successful without them. The Union have made the playoffs in continuous seasons and just last year had their deepest playoff run in club history. Collecting all of this general allocation money may be helpful down the line or even this upcoming transfer window.Â
Union’s incredible homegrown program
Another big reason for the Union passing up on the MLS SuperDraft is because of their outstanding homegrown program. The Union have been able to develop many players from the homegrown system who come to the MLS and immediately contribute. Former Union homegrown Brendan Aaronson left the Union for the biggest transfer in club history to Red Bull Salzburg.
With a high chance of all-star left-back Kai Wagner looking to be on the way out, the Union will definitely need to look for a replacement. The 2022 MLS season is just seven weeks away, so the Union need to figure out a plan for Kai Wagner and any other additions to their roster.
Mandatory Credit: MLS
