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MLS is having a week of drafts: we've had Expansion, next up is Waiver, and the week will end with Re-Entry (Stage One).
The Waiver Draft is for players not eligible for the Re-Entry Draft or Free Agency, of which there are 43 this year - per the list released by MLS.
Perhaps the most eye-catching name on the list is Efrain Burgos: in part because the players are listed in alphabetical order by club, so he's at the top since his (former) team is Atlanta United; in part because Atlanta United hasn't played a competitive game yet and is already waiving players from its (incomplete) roster. The move merely strengthens the perception that the United of Atlanta is navigating MLS with a veteran's guile rather than a rookie's uncertainty.
Burgos is also emblematic of the sort of player who tends to fall into the Waiver Draft: a player who had an underwhelming season.
Yes, there are intriguing names on the list, including Panama international Alberto Quintero, fading star Julio Baptista, and winger Cedric Mabwati. And three of the top 10 picks from the 2015 SuperDraft are available: Nick Besler (drafted fifth overall by Portland Timbers), Zach Steinberger (picked eighth by Houston Dynamo), and Connor Hallisey (the number 10 pick in 2015, signed by Sporting Kansas City).
Nonetheless, the majority of teams are expected to pass. There were good and interesting players available in last year's Waiver Draft - and only one team made a selection (Colorado Rapids picked Micheal Azira). It will be surprise if much greater enthusiasm is shown for this draft in 2016.
The New York Red Bulls' Shaun Wright-Phillips - out of contract, per an earlier announcement by RBNY, and not considered likely to return to the club - is on the list. And he will probably still be without a club at the end of the draft, as it is expected will be the case for most players in this year's Waiver Draft.
The draft will be held on Thursday, December 15 at 3:00 pm, Eastern. And will likely conclude very shortly thereafter: it doesn't take long for a team to say "pass".