Reminder: MLS Half-Day Trade Window opens (and closes) on December 9

A Sam Stejskal report for mlssoccer.com - about a possible trade involving FC Dallas forward Maxi Urruti - functions as a reminder that the MLS off-season is well underway and will kick up a notch almost as soon as the MLS Cup Final is over.

The day after the destination of 2018 MLS Cup is settled, December 9, the teams that played the final - Atlanta United and Portland Timbers - must submit their end-of-season roster decisions to the League Office. At the same time, there will be a half-day trade window, running from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, for MLS teams to complete any transactions they want to get done before the league’s focus turns to the 2018 Expansion Draft.

The lists of players FC Cincinnati will get to choose from in the Expansion Draft will be published on December 10. The preceding trade window should therefore largely be looked at from the perspective of identifying any teams that may have struck a deal with Cincinnati in advance of the draft.

Trades on Sunday involving MLS’ newest team may very likely have been struck around a nod-and-a-wink agreement that Cincinnati will refrain from selecting any players from whichever clubs it is doing business with during the trade window. And that, of course, will effectively narrow the field of players Cincy is selecting from on Tuesday, December 11.