Fire Roster Update: Berhalter Starts to Rework Fire Squad

Less than two weeks into the MLS offseason, Gregg Berhalter’s plans for the Fire have begun to take shape.

Having announced roster decisions early, giving the team some both salary and roster space, the Fire managed to secure Jack Elliott, one of the top free agents available this offseason, as the team’s first acquisition from outside the club, and signed both Fire II captain and league MVP David Poreba and 21-year-old Omari Glasgow, already Guyana’s all-time leading goalscorer, to first team deals, amongst a number of other moves.

With the team likely to make a number of moves in the January window, here is where the Fire’s roster stands – along with key questions facing the front office as the team gears up for 2025.

After Departures, The Fire Now Have Roster Flexibility

An issue that dogged the Fire throughout 2024 was a lack of available spots on the first team roster. MLS rosters are relatively small, with just 20 senior roster spots and 10 supplemental spots, and last season, the Fire had to maneuver heavily to become complaint in the days leading up to the deadline.

That meant that throughout 2024, the team could not add to the roster unless they matched it with a departure. That meant that even with trade windows open, the team was unable to source a natural left back after Andrew Gutman and Chase Gasper were both struck by long-term injuries early in the season, forcing the team to get creative at that position. Ultimately, Xherdan Shaqiri's trade deadline contract termination paved the way for the Fire to add wingback Ariel Lassiter late in the day, but he has already left the club as his effective seven-game contract expired.

The new front office under Berhalter has been efficient, if unsentimental, in their treatment of the Fire roster, announcing that Fabian Herbers, the team’s longest-serving player, from the club, as well as the departure of Rafa Czichos, the team’s captain for two seasons. The team also allowed several homegrown players to depart from the club and managed to free up the U22 spot occupied by Georgios Koutsias in a loan to sister club FC Lugano while preserving the team’s one buyout for the year.

After the recent trio of signings, the team now has five senior and two supplemental roster spots open. The supplemental spots, which are heavily restricted in use but do not count against the cap, are likely to be used by academy signings, but other departures are possible, potentially giving the team even more space to add players.

On top of the number of spots available, the team also has flexibility with prized Designated Player (DP) and U22 Initiative Slots.

Which Roster Model Will the Fire Choose?

During the summer, MLS announced mid-season roster rule changes, which allowed the team to choose between two roster construction models. The team could elect to have either three DP slots and three U22 slots or two DPs alongside four U22s and additional General Allocation Money (GAM) which can be used to buy down players’ salary cap hit.

With no desire to commit to a new DP in the summer, the team elected for the two DP/four U22 model, ultimately leaving one of the U22 slots open. The move cleared up cap space for the team, as did keeping Gastón Giménez in a DP slot, even though he can also be bought down to a Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) player.

The team’s only “true” DP that cannot be bought down is Hugo Cuypers, and with two U22 players in Brian Gutiérrez and Federico Navarro, the team can currently choose either model come the roster compliance date, typically just before the start of the regular season.

Ultimately, the team’s ambitions mean that they are likely to choose the three DP/three U22 model, but given Giménez’s roster flexibility, if the team can’t find two good DP targets in the coming weeks, they may stick with the two DP/four U22 model through the summer.

This gives the team additional GAM and may help the team avoid the mistakes that dogged Berhalter’s predecessor, Georg Heitz, through his tenure. Heitz rushed to fill prized roster spots early in his tenure, ultimately hamstringing the team’s ability to address the weaknesses that became evident in the team’s roster.

Either way, the team has the ability to add at least one DP and one U22 over the winter.

What other moves are likely this offseason?

The team is likely to add several players, including attacking talent at the top end of the roster, once the international transfer window opens. In addition, expect the team to make use of the available slots on the supplemental roster, likely by signing at least one academy prospect. However, with the MLS SuperDraft this Friday, it is also possible (but unlikely, given the strength of the draft class) that they will add a player that way.

There are also a handful of players who could still leave the club; specifically, Gastón Giménez and Arnaud Souquet are the top names to keep an eye on, as either one of the two could prove to be a contender for the team's buyout. Carlos Terán has expressed his desire to move to Europe in the past, and as he now seems likely to be a backup with the arrival of Elliott, he may look for a move again this January. Chris Mueller, who was unable to find the back of the net for all of 2024 despite plentiful minutes, could also be available on the trade market despite a year remaining on his deal.

All teams must have compliant rosters by the start of the regular season in late February – something that, unlike last year, is unlikely to be an issue for the Fire in 2025 – and can continue to make moves as long as the window is open, typically through late April.

While the Fire typically made almost all their roster moves in the winter window under Georg Heitz, many other clubs around the league intentionally leave roster spots open to give them the ability to bring in players in the summer. That’s when players in Europe and elsewhere are out of season and when most transfer business is done globally, and it’s possible – even likely – that Berhalter will want the flexibility to make real roster changes during that window.

We’ll have coverage of the Fire’s current strengths and needs headed your way, including depth charts and discussions on the Fire’s current roster strengths and needs.