San Diego FC, confirmed this week as MLS's 30th franchise, receives five expansion draft selections to fill out its 2025 roster. The draft follows league protocols established with St. Louis CITY SC's 2023 entry, when that club used similar picks to post a 15-10-9 record and reach the conference semifinals in year one.
The expansion draft runs in December. Each of MLS's 29 existing clubs protects a set roster, leaving a pool of unprotected players. San Diego selects five, one from any five different teams. The club already secured Hirving "Chucky" Lozano from PSV Eindhoven on a designated player contract worth a reported $8 million annually, giving the front office a rare known quantity before the draft begins.
The LAFC precedent matters more than St. Louis for San Diego's ownership group, which includes Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. LAFC entered MLS in 2018 with high-profile signings—Carlos Vela, Laurent Ciman—then used expansion picks to add depth pieces who logged minutes in playoff runs. St. Louis took a different path, selecting players like Indiana Vassilev and Kyle Hiebert who started 25-plus matches in year one. San Diego's front office, led by sporting director Tyler Heaps, formerly of New York Red Bulls, signals the LAFC route: Lozano draws fans, expansion picks fill out the 18.
The club badge, revealed by The Athletic a day early, features a trident and Southern California coastal palette. The branding rollout included a controlled leak, suggesting the marketing team prioritized digital engagement over embargo discipline. The club's downtown stadium site, a 35,000-capacity venue at the Sports Arena footprint, remains in design review. Construction timelines put opening day in mid-2025, with temporary venue arrangements likely for the season's first months.
Expansion draft economics favor the existing clubs. Teams receive $50,000 per unprotected player selected, a nominal sum against MLS's $5.47 million salary cap. The real cost is roster churn. Clubs often expose fringe players or high-salary veterans they want off the books. San Diego's task: identify which veterans still have a year left—St. Louis selected Eduard Löwen from New York City FC, who contributed six assists in 2023—and which are salary dumps.
The December draft date compresses San Diego's offseason. By January, the club needs a head coach, a finalized roster of 20-plus players, and preseason logistics. LAFC hired Bob Bradley in August 2017, giving him six months before kickoff. St. Louis hired Bradley Carnell in November 2022, three months out. San Diego's coaching search, not yet public, determines whether the expansion picks are Bradley's system players or Carnell's defensive converts.
Lozano's arrival changed the expansion calculus. His deal, structured with heavy guaranteed money and a four-year term, signals San Diego intends to compete immediately rather than banking on draft picks and development. The club's other designated player slots—MLS allows three—remain open. The expansion draft will not fill those. Look for winter signings from Liga MX or South America, where San Diego's ownership has existing networks.
The club's name, San Diego FC, avoids the rebrand risk that plagued other expansions. No "City SC," no "United." The trident badge references naval history and surf culture without requiring a mascot. Merchandise preorders began Friday, with the club keeping 100 percent of apparel revenue under MLS's structure, unlike gate splits.
What to watch: coaching hire announcement before November ends. Expansion draft protection lists, due mid-November, reveal which veterans each club considers expendable. San Diego's front office will spend Thanksgiving week on calls, mapping which five players fit a system they have not yet hired a coach to define. Stadium construction permits, expected in Q1 2025, determine whether the club opens at home or borrows Snapdragon Stadium, the 35,000-seat venue SDSU uses.
The expansion draft happens once. The five players San Diego selects will either be footnotes or, if the club copies LAFC's model, the depth that keeps Lozano fresh for playoff matches in October.
The takeaway
San Diego FC's five expansion picks in December test whether the club follows LAFC's instant-contender model or St. Louis's draft-driven build.
mlsexpansion draftsan diego fcroster constructionleague economicschucky lozano
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