The saga of the LA Galaxy’s four designated players ended late Friday night when the team announced it had bought out the final year of Giovani dos Santos’ contract.



Each MLS team is allowed one buyout per offseason, an MLS roster maneuver that removes a player from the team’s budget for the season ahead. The Galaxy announced the decision Friday, hours before the MLS roster compliance deadline, which was set for 8 p.m. ET. The season opens Saturday, March 2nd, and the Galaxy will host the Chicago Fire on national television.



“As I’ve discussed over numerous occasions, we were looking for the best situation for our roster going forward and for the club, but that means, with a lot of respect towards our players, you need to discuss these issues and we need to be roster-compliant,” Galaxy general manager Dennis te Kloese told reporters in a conference call on Friday. “We have always been respectful and will always be respectful...