ATLANTA — There is little time to rest. MLS Cup celebrations were still ongoing Saturday night when talk of player trades began. That’s because MLS’ half-day trade window will open 11 hours after the final whistle to crown Atlanta United the 2018 MLS champion.
The 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET window Sunday marks the first time teams have been able to make trades or new signings since the roster freeze date in September.
The half-day trade window is the first major date of the offseason. When the window closes, no roster moves can be made until the conclusion of the MLS Expansion Draft for FC Cincinnati, which begins at 2 p.m. ET Tuesday. Free Agency begins later that day, and then the offseason is in full swing with the MLS Waiver Draft and the MLS Re-entry draft (Stages 1 and 2!) in December, followed by the player combine and the MLS SuperDraft at the beginning of January. All of the MLS offseason’s important dates can be found here.