Opinion

Reader mailbag: What can TFC get out of the MLS SuperDraft?

With only the 36th overall pick, Toronto FC isn't expected to be a big mover and shaker at this month's MLS SuperDraft.

John Molinaro

Dec 7, 2025 — 8 min read

TFC Republic's reader mailbag column is where I answer questions from subscribers about Toronto FC and Canadian soccer in general.

I'll respond to the best queries submitted to me by TFC Republic readers, so feel free to drop me an email at jmo1897@gmail.com. You can also reach out to me via Twitter.

Here we go...

Who would be solid free agents for TFC to consider this off season?

– Greg Finley

Greg asks a very timely question as MLS free agency kicks off on Dec. 10, which means clubs can start talking to free agents from around the league.

In order to be eligible for free agency, players who are out of contract or had their options declined must be at least 24 years old and have completed a minimum of four years of service in MLS. For Toronto FC, this applies to Sean Johnson and Derrick Etienne Jr.

By the sounds of it, Toronto plans to delve into the free agent market this off-season to bolster its roster ahead of the 2026 MLS campaign.

GM Jason Hernandez hinted last week that the Reds will be looking to get involved in the free agent market, while also making use of the many other league player movement mechanisms.

"Considering the moves that we've been able to make, we have afforded ourselves the opportunity to play a role in every mechanism that can be afforded to us, right? When we talk about end-of-year waivers, re-entry draft, free agency ... we think we could have something to say in each and every one of them," Hernandez said.

"So, that's a great position to be in. I do think we're certainly going to have different conversations throughout all those mechanisms. And free agency is, we think, going to be a strong one this year, as well."

Kevin Long and Sigurd Rosted had their options for 2026 declined by TFC in October and might not be back next year. If that's the case, Toronto could be looking to add some depth at the centre back position. With this in mind, Walker Zimmerman is available. Zimmerman, a 32-year-old and U.S. international, has averaged 24 league games per season over the last six years for Nashville SC. He's a reliable and experienced defender who would offer the Reds a steadying presence in defence.

If Johnson ends up leaving and Toronto and doesn't feel backup Luka Gavran is ready to be a regular starter, it could go after Canadian Maxime Crépeau who is out of contract with the Portland Timbers. Crépeau is anxious to find a new club where he would be a starter, especially ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as he's currently involved with Dayne St. Clair for the No. 1 job next summer.

Toronto's biggest positional need is at the forward spot – the Reds' attacking woes and their desperate need for a proven goalscorer (or two) have been well documented. But I don't think there is a free agent out there who could be TFC's main striker or go-to No. 9 next season – they're going to have to make that roster addition outside of the MLS free agency mechanism. But there are some free agent forwards who could potentially help Toronto as a complimentary attacking piece.

Danish forward Mikael Uhre is out of contract with the Philadelphia Union. If he can't come to terms on a new deal with Philly then he would be a player that TFC should consider. Uhre, 31, has 38 goals and 18 assists in 119 regular season games over the last four seasons with the Union and is coming off a solid 2025 campaign in which he had 12 goal contributions.

Cristian Espinoza, 30, has 36 goals and 70 assists in 218 regular season matches for the San Jose Earthquakes since 2019. The Argentinian is a two-time MLS All-Star (2023 and 2025) and had four goals and 12 assists this season.

Also out of contract with San Jose is Josef Martínez. At 32, the Venezuelan still has something to offer after a 2025 season in which he scored 14 goals and had two assists – he had 11 goals and three assists for CF Montreal last year.

To read the full list of MLS free agents this off-season, CLICK HERE.

How many picks does Toronto have in the MLS SuperDraft? Can they get any good players out of it?

– Reggie S.

The MLS SuperDraft takes place on Dec. 18, giving Toronto FC and the league's other 29 clubs a chance to add one of the top NCAA prospects to their rosters.

But TFC aren't expected to be major players in the draft even though they finished near the bottom of the league table and under normal circumstances would've had the sixth overall pick.

Toronto traded its first-round pick to Colorado in January in exchange for hiring Rapids assistant coach Neil Emblen and first-team analyst Jase Kin. Both worked under coach Robin Fraser during his time in charge of Colorado and were still under contract to the Rapids at the start of pre-season. That meant the Reds had to give something up in order for them to reunite with Fraser in Toronto.

TFC's third-round pick was also traded away as part of the swap with CF Montreal in August for Matty Longstaff. That means that the Reds only have a second-round selection (36th overall) for this month's draft.

It wouldn't come as a major surprise to see Toronto try to trade away that pick, possibly for general allocation money or another asset, if an opportunity comes up. But the quality of available players in the draft tends to drop off after the first two dozen picks, so you'd have to think that anything they can get in return would be modest.

It has to be said that the SuperDraft isn't what it once was in terms of having a major impact on how teams can rebuild their roster, especially with the rise of the youth academy system in MLS over the last several years.

Aside from Luka Gavran and Tyrese Spicer, only one other player drafted by Toronto FC over the last six years had any kind of impact with the club. Former Georgetown forward Ifunanyachi Achara (1st round in 2020, 25th overall) scored four goals and tallied two assists in 34 games in all competitions across three seasons before having his club option declined at the end of the 2023 campaign.

The overwhelming majority of Toronto's 19 draftees selected since 2020 either never signed with the club or ended up with TFC 2. Midfielder Michael Sullivan (more on him later) was drafted last year and spent this season at TFC 2, making just one brief substitute appearance for the senior team.

All of which is to say you shouldn't expect anything substantive to come out of this month's draft for the Reds.

I know you wrote about Michael Sullivan earlier this week. But were you surprised he isn't coming back? From what I saw while watching TFC 2 this year I was quite impressed and thought he had a future with the senior team.

– Colin B.

Colin's question pertains to my Random Thoughts column that was published on Friday. In case you missed it, TFC 2 announced as part of its end-of-season roster decisions that Michael Sullivan won't be back with the club next year

Sullivan, 22, was selected in the second round (39th overall) of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC and he took part in the team’s pre-season training camp before signing with TFC 2 in March. The midfielder from the University of Pittsburgh did well in MLS NEXT Pro, scoring four goals and collecting one assist in 24 appearances this season (22 starts) while finishing with 1,953 minutes (fourth best on the team). He also made his MLS debut off the bench on June 28 in a home win over the Portland Timbers.

Sullivan's early season form in MLS NEXT Pro caught the attention of Toronto coach Robin Fraser, who said of the young midfielder, "he's mature, he's composed, he's not emotional."

“Those are all things that have nothing to do with soccer, right? That’s him as a person. And then you add the fact that he's technically very good and has good awareness around him. He's a player who really made an impression in pre-season,” Fraser said in April.

“Obviously, we have a lot of players who play in the positions that he plays, so it's tough for him to jump right to the top of the heap. But he's certainly a player who made an impression, someone that we keep a very close eye on.”

In light of Fraser's comments, I was a little surprised that Sullivan won't return in 2026. But to properly answer Colin's question, I employed the help of Toronto-based writer James Grossi, who is the foremost authority on TFC 2, having covered the team in an in-depth fashion for several years.

Here's what Grossi had to say about Sullivan's departure:

"Sullivan was exactly what a club would want in a player selected in the MLS SuperDraft. He came into the side, fit in well, brought his personality and his experience to the group, but was also eager to learn, adapt, expand his game in the new surroundings, welcoming the challenges and embracing the experience," Grossi told TFC Republic.

"Off the pitch, he was a sponge. On it he was a driving force behind the team this year. When the side needed a lift, needed a goal, needed someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck and make something happen, he was one of the ones looked to. That he would sport the captain's armband on occasion was only fitting.

"I remember speaking to him about his first team debut against Portland – he was respectfully awed and thankful for the opportunity, but also aware that it would be an occasion he would be telling his kids about, the best part being that his mom was able to make the trek from Pennsylvania to share in it.

"Usually, a draft pick gets at least two seasons with TFC 2 to see how they progress, so it came as some surprise when his option wasn’t picked up. I read into that as TFC 2 wanting to continue the trend of going younger in the MLS NEXT Pro space. I expect Sullivan will have plenty of options to continue his career elsewhere and I will be keeping an eye out to see how he fares."

(Top photo by Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

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