COLUMBUS — Columbus Crew SC today announced it has re-signed defender Gaston Sauro.

Sauro returns for his fourth season with Crew SC after being placed on the season-ending injury list in 2017. To date, the Argentine defender has made 17 regular-season appearances (16 starts) for Crew SC.

“We firmly believe Gaston Sauro is one of the most physically dominant and talented centerbacks in MLS,” said Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “Throughout his time with Crew SC, Gaston has been an important part of our team and we are excited that he is back. In addition to his skill set, his character and professionalism on and off the field in his time here have made him an important part of our locker room and we look forward to his progression in 2018.”

Sauro, 27, signed with Crew SC on August 6, 2015 and was a part of Crew SC’s Eastern Conference Championship side in 2015, making four regular-season appearances (all starts) and four appearances (all starts) in the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. In 2016, he made 13 regular-season appearances (12 starts) before being sidelined by a knee injury. Sauro missed the 2017 season after being placed in the season-ending injury list.

Prior to joining Crew SC, Sauro began his career with Boca Juniors of Argentina’s First Division, where he made 15 appearances (12 starts) from 2009-2012. The defender then joined FC Basel of the Swiss Super League, where he played from 2012-2014 and made 71 appearances (49 starts) across all competitions while helping the club win the 2013-2014 Swiss Super League. Following his time in Switzerland, Sauro played for Calcio Catania of Italy’s Serie B, making 27 appearances (21 starts) and scoring one goal during the 2014-2015 season.

Under Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, the 2018 MLS Preseason begins on Wednesday, January 24, at SuperKick in Lewis Center, Ohio after entrance physicals and testing. From there, the club departs to Casa Grande, Arizona for its preseason camp on Friday, January 26. Crew SC is slated to remain in Arizona through February 6 before traveling to Honolulu, Hawaii to participate in the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup from February 6-11. Following the conclusion of the Pacific Rim Cup, the club travels to Charleston, South Carolina to participate in the 2018 Carolina Challenge Cup.

With the addition of Sauro and Logan Ketterer earlier today, Crew SC's current 2018 roster — listed alphabetically below — now stands at 23 players:

Goalkeepers (3): Jon Kempin, Logan Ketterer, Zack Steffen

Defenders (7): Lalas Abubakar, Harrison Afful, Alex Crognale, Connor Maloney, Jonathan Mensah, Gaston Sauro, Josh Williams

Midfielders (11): Mohammed Abu, Artur, Niko Hansen, Federico Higuain, Mike Grella, Hector Jimenez, Cristian Martinez, Justin Meram, Pedro Santos, Eduardo Sosa, Wil Trapp

Forwards (2): Adam Jahn, Ola Kamara

TRANSACTION

Columbus Crew SC re-signs defender Gaston Sauro on January 11, 2018.

Name: Gaston Sauro

Position: Defender

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 185

Born: February 23, 1990 in Rosario, Argentina

Hometown: Rosario, Argentina

Citizenship: Argentina

Acquired: Re-signed by Crew SC on January 11, 2018; originally signed on August 6, 2015

Previous Experience: Calcio Catana (2014-2015), FC Basel (2012-2014), Boca Juniors (2009-2012)