TORONTO – Will Clint Irwin be back at Toronto FC next season? We’ll have to wait and see.
TFC announced Tuesday that it won’t exercise its contract option on Irwin, the team’s backup goalkeeper who previously served as the No. 1 during the club’s first MLS Cup run in 2016. The Reds also opted not to pick up its option on Canadian forward Tosaint Ricketts.
Irwin, 29, has appeared in 13 league games over the last two seasons after being supplanted by youngster Alex Bono as the starting goalkeeper. Ricketts, 31, dealt with a thyroid issue this season that saw him appear in 18 league games (four as a starter) and score three goals.
However, Tuesday’s announcement doesn’t necessarily mean that Irwin or Ricketts will be leaving Toronto. As per MLS rules, TFC can still negotiate and re-sign them to a new deal for lesser money ahead of the 2019 campaign. Realistically, Irwin (who earned US $221,000 last year) and Ricketts ($203,175), would likely have to take pay cuts in order to stay with the Reds.
The same applies to veteran defender Jason Hernandez ($67,500 in 2018) and Canadian forward Jordan Hamilton ($100,000, although his salary doesn’t count against the salary cap because he is a homegrown player), who will both be out of contract at the end of the year. Hernandez is eligible for free agency, but he hinted at the end of the 2018 MLS season he was contemplating retirement.
The loan deals for Brazilian wingback Auro Jr. (who made $272,500 this season) and Argentine forward Lucas Janson ($449,000) will both expire on Dec. 31. TFC could bring both of them back for 2019, as well.
Auro, 22, was one of the Toronto’s most consistent players from the start of the 2018 campaign, while the 24-year-old Janson showed promise after joining the club in August and scoring four goals in 11 games.
“We will continue to have discussions with the players on loan and whose options were not exercised and those out of contract,” GM Tim Bezbatchenko said in a news release.
In addition, TFC has exercised its contract options on goalkeeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell, defenders Ashtone Morgan, Drew Moor, Nick Hagglund and Julian Dunn, and midfielders Jay Chapman, Ryan Telfer and Aidan Daniels.
“We are happy to bring back a high number of players that have contributed to our club over the past couple seasons as we continue to shape our roster ahead of the 2019 MLS season and Concacaf Champions League,” Bezbatchenko said in the same release.
The club also announced Tuesday that it has agreed to terminate the contract of midfielder Ager Aketxe by mutual consent. The Spaniard’s departure hardly comes as a surprise.
Aketxe 24, joined TFC in February via a free transfer from La Liga club Athletic Bilbao to great fanfare (and a big salary at $1.295 million), with the hope being that he would be another quality midfield option. But he had a difficult time in Toronto, and he made only 14 combined appearances in MLS league play and Concacaf Champions League. In July, the Reds sent him on loan to Cadiz, who competes in Spain’s second division.
“We know that international players take time to adapt and assimilate to our league. Looking at his play, I think it took time for him to adjust to the speed of play. There are some players who think they are going to come to this league and dominate because of where they come from … I thought for him, that was one thing that we maybe didn’t see,” Bezbatchenko said at the team’s end-of-season media availability last month.
TFC confirmed that 14 players remain under contract for next season. That list includes all three designated players (captain Michael Bradley, and forwards Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco), starting goalkeeper Alex Bono, defenders Justin Morrow, Chris Mavinga, Gregory van der Wiel and Eriq Zavaleta, midfielders Jonathan Osorio, Victor Vazquez, Marky Delgado and Liam Fraser, and forwards Jon Bakero and Ayo Akinola.
Toronto will be able to make more moves on Dec. 9 during the league’s half-day trade window. Free agency in MLS begins on Dec. 11.
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