When Jeff Larentowicz became a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 season, he had options, and he was intent on becoming a free agent in order to survey his options. To be in a position that allowed him to evaluate offers and choose where he wanted to play hadn’t always been an option during the 36-year-old defensive midfielder’s time in MLS.



“I fight year in and year out to allow players to have freedom in a league where, increasingly, there’s not a lot of freedom,” said Larentowicz recently during a phone interview. “I wouldn’t have done myself any sort of justice if I had just signed without looking.”



Larentowicz had been a fixture of the starting lineup in 2018, under head coach Tata Martino, but he found himself on the bench as the defending champions transitioned to life under Frank de Boer. However, he managed to play his way back into De Boer’s midfield by October, and he was in the lineup for every...