The Union say they’re in negotiations with Alejandro Bedoya and Jack Elliott about new contracts

The Union announced their end-of-year roster moves on Tuesday, and they didn’t bring much clarity about the team’s future.

A team statement said five players’ contract options for 2025 have been declined: veteran centerback Jack Elliott, young centerback Brandan Craig, right back prospect Jamir Berdecio, left back Matt Real, and winger Joaquín Torres.

It was a little surprising that Elliott’s option was declined and more surprising that Craig’s was. But the team said it’s in talks for new deals with both of them, and in talks with out-of-contract midfielder and longtime captain Alejandro Bedoya.

What does all of that actually mean? It’s tough to tell initially, because talks only mean so much. The firing of Jim Curtin was an obviously bad sign for bringing Bedoya back — he wanted his longtime captain to get another year more than almost anyone except the player himself. It’s unclear how much public controversy the Union would be willing to endure if they break sharply from Bedoya, who isn’t just well-known and popular but has put down significant roots off the field.

Elliott wasn’t as much of a problem this season as Jakob Glesnes was. But Glesnes’ contract is guaranteed for another year, so the Union are stuck with him unless they can trade him within MLS or sell him to Europe. If the Union are to refresh their starting back line this winter, Elliott is the easier player to move on from.

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Craig rose through the Union’s youth academy as a major prospect, a Northeast Philadelphia native following in the footsteps of fellow locals Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie. The 20-year-old also has made a mark in the U.S. youth national team program, earning a starting spot at last year’s under-20 World Cup. But he has made just one appearance for the Union’s first team, a brief cameo in 2022, and has spent the last year and a half on loans away.

The Union haven’t given many hints lately about how they see Craig’s future. It seems fair to say, though, that if he doesn’t get a shot at the first team next year, he likely won’t. If he doesn’t agree to a new deal, the club will face questions about why he ended up a bust.

The declined options for Berdecio, Torres, and Real weren’t surprising. Berdecio never made it past the reserve team this year. Torres was away on loan and destined to not return.

Real was on loan to the USL Championship’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks and just won the league title there. But he was looking at potentially being third or fourth on the left back depth chart behind Kai Wagner, academy prospect Frankie Westfield, and Isaiah LeFlore — the only player who had a contract option picked up, after he missed all of this year with a torn ACL.

Striker Mikael Uhre had a contract option on the table on paper, but it was triggered automatically in the summer based on performance.

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Two players who are out of contract appear to not be coming back: striker Sam Adeniran, who was a short-term signing from the start, and defensive midfielder Leon Flach.

It will disappoint some fans that Flach is leaving, since he’s a tireless worker and good locker room character, but there were rarely signs from either side that a new deal could be done for him to stay. Soon after his departure was announced, he posted a farewell message on Instagram.

“I had great teammates who became family, great people around the team, great fans and a coach who trusted me, a young inexperienced player with no resume, which is something I will always be grateful for,” he wrote. “So thank you for everything Philadelphia. One of the most special places I have ever been at.”

Everyone else on the roster is officially under contract for next year, including right back Olivier Mbaizo after he signed a new multiyear deal earlier this month.

Union sporting director Ernst Tanner will hold a news conference Wednesday morning when he’ll share his views on the team’s moves.

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