Why the Union picked one of their own reserve team’s players in the MLS draft

It was strange enough that the Union actually made a pick in the first round of Major League Soccer’s college draft Wednesday for the first time since 2016. But it seemed even stranger that in the second round, the Union picked one of their own reserve team’s players, forward Stefan Stojanovic.

Why did they have to draft him, instead of just being able to sign him? Here’s the explanation.

First of all, they probably didn’t have to sign him. But because of a quirk in the draft’s rules, a small number of players from outside college soccer were eligible for selection.

Stojanovic is one of the few Union reserve team players who is neither an academy product nor a first-teamer who joins the reserves when not playing in MLS. The 21-year-old Chicago native played three years of college soccer, two at St. Louis followed by one at Georgetown. He also has been in camps with the U.S. under-18 and under-20 men’s national teams.

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In March, Stojanovic turned pro and signed with Union II, as the reserve team is officially known, in the MLS Next Pro league. Players who sign pro deals directly with a reserve team go on a separate payroll from the first team’s.

Now comes the quirk. Players on MLS Next Pro contracts can’t move up to their connected big league team without signing an MLS contract. But players who left college early to sign MLS Next Pro contracts can be put into the draft pool by the organizations with which they sign. They only become eligible for the draft if those organizations choose to put them in a pool.

In other words, if the Union had not put Stojanovic in the draft pool, he would not have been eligible for selection. Because they did, he was. Whichever team drafted him effectively would have earned the right to be first in line to sign him to an MLS contract. So the Union gambled a little bit, and ended up winning.

A source with knowledge of the deal said Stojanovic knew of the possibility that he’d be drafted and of the Union’s interest in keeping him in the club, and that he was fine with how things worked out.

» READ MORE: Union to kick off 2023 at home vs. Columbus in February, and host LAFC in September

Stojanovic played 738 minutes across 16 games for Union II this year, recording one goal and two assists. Those aren’t gaudy numbers, but the goal was memorable: a 91st-minute leaping volley to snatch a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew’s reserves on July 31.

Whether he’ll sign a MLS contract or go back to the reserve team is unclear. He also could sign an MLS contract and play most of his games with the reserves. But at least the door would be open for first-team playing time.