The MLS offseason will be in full swing seemingly as soon as the final whistle blows on Saturday’s MLS Cup match between Atlanta United and the Portland Timbers. Teams will announce their 11-player protected lists on Monday ahead of the expansion draft for the league’s newest club, FC Cincinnati. That is preceded by a half-day trade window on Sunday from 8 a.m. until noon Central.



From the Fire’s perspective, the expansion draft should be manageable without a significant loss, but general manager Nelson Rodriguez must determine if out-of-contract players Michael de Leeuw, Matt Polster and Johan Kappelhof will be included in their list of 11 protected names. With 16 players currently under contract for 2019, Mo Adams, Grant Lillard and Djordje Mihailovic are exempt from Tuesday’s expansion draft because of generation adidas and homegrown status. That leaves Brandt Bronico, Diego Campos, Stefan Cleveland, Elliot Collier, Jorge Corrales, Nicolas Del...