The 2023 MLS SuperDraft was the 24th edition of the SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. It was held on December 21, 2022, becoming the first SuperDraft to be held in December, but retained the 2023 branding.[1] The draft was conducted via conference call and streamed online. Previously, the SuperDraft had been held in conjunction with the annual January United Soccer Coaches convention.[2]
Since 2021, the SuperDraft has consisted of three rounds. Teams that received fourth-round picks for this draft via past trades received compensatory picks instead.[3] The first overall pick is awarded to expansion team St. Louis City SC and the remaining picks are set by 2022 regular season and post-season results in reverse order.[1]
The SuperDraft format has remained constant throughout its history and closely resembles that of the NFL Draft:
Any expansion teams receive the first picks. MLS announced that St. Louis City SC[4] would debut in 2023 instead of 2022, and the league's expansion to Sacramento was put on hiatus indefinitely.
Non-playoff clubs receive the next picks in reverse order of prior season finish.
Teams that made the MLS Cup Playoffs are then ordered by which round of the playoffs they are eliminated.
The winners of the MLS Cup are given the last selection, and the losers the penultimate selection.
^No. 1: St. Louis City → Charlotte. December 21, 2022: Charlotte acquired St. Louis City SC's first-round selection in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money and their No. 20 MLS SuperDraft pick.[5]
^No. 2: D.C. United → Orlando. December 21, 2022: Orlando acquired D.C. United's first-round selection in exchange for Ruan.[6]
^No. 3: Toronto → Colorado. July 8, 2022: Colorado acquired Toronto FC's first-round selection and Ralph Priso in exchange for $1,025,000 in general allocation money, and Mark-Anthony Kaye.[7]
^No. 4: San Jose → New England. December 21, 2022: New England acquired San Jose Earthquakes's first-round selection in exchange for $250,000 in General Allocation Money and their No. 10 MLS SuperDraft pick.[8]
^No. 5: Houston → Vancouver. December 21, 2022: Vancouver acquired Houston Dynamo FC's first-round selection in exchange for $225,000 in General Allocation Money and their No. 13 MLS SuperDraft pick.[8]
^No. 6: Chicago → Orlando. May 5, 2022: Orlando acquired Chicago Fire FC's first-round selection and discovery rights to Chris Mueller in exchange for $250,000 in 2022 general allocation money, and $250,000 in 2023 in general allocation money, and discovery prior for an unnamed player.[9]
^No. 7: Atlanta → Salt Lake. December 21, 2022: Real Salt Lake acquired Atlanta United FC's first-round selection in exchange for $175,000 in General Allocation Money.[8]
^No. 9: Seattle → St. Louis. December 21, 2022: St. Louis City acquired Seattle Sounders FC's first-round selection in exchange for $175,000 in General Allocation Money and the no. 59 pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.[8]
^No. 10: New England → San Jose. December 21, 2022: San Jose acquired New England Revolution's first-round selection as part of the No.4 pick trade.[8]
^No. 11: Charlotte → Nashville. December 12, 2021: Nashville exercised the right to swap Charlotte FC's first-round selection in exchange for two international roster spots and Charlotte sending $500,000 allocation to Nashville.[10]
^No. 12: Colorado → Charlotte. December 21, 2022: Charlotte acquired Colorado Rapids No. 12 pick in exchange for $50,000 in 2023 GAM, $50,000 in conditional GAM, and a first round pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.[11]
^No. 13: Vancouver → Houston → Austin. December 21, 2022: Houston acquired Vancouver Whitecaps FC's first-round selection as part of the No.5 pick trade. It was subsequently traded to Austin FC in exchange for $100,000 in General Allocation Money (50,000 in 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM), and $50k in 2024 GAM) and the No. 27 pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.[12]
^No. 20: Nashville → Charlotte → St. Louis City → Austin. November 9, 2022: Charlotte acquired Nashville SC's first-round selection in a swap of first round picks from a December 12, 2021 trade, St. Louis acquired the No. 20 pick from Charlotte in exchange for $400,000 GAM and the No. 1 Pick. Austin acquired the No. 20 pick from St. Louis in exchange for $50,000 General Allocation Money and conditional General Allocation Money.[13]
^No. 25: Montréal → Salt Lake. December 21, 2022: Salt Lake acquired CF Montréal's first-round selection as part of the trade for Aaron Herrera.[14]
^No. 27: Austin → Houston → Columbus. December 21, 2022: Columbus acquired the pick from Houston for $50,000 of General Allocation Money.[citation needed]
^No. 59: St. Louis → Seattle. December 21, 2022: Seattle acquired the No. 59 pick from St. Louis City SC as part of the earlier No. 9 pick trade.[8]
Round 2
^No. 35: Chicago → Nashville. November 9, 2022: Nashville acquired Chicago Fire FC's natural second-round selection and $175,000 in General Allocation Money in exchange for an international roster slot.[16]
Round 3
^No. 65: Atlanta → Nashville. June 22, 2022: Nashville acquired Atlanta United FC's natural third-round selection and $175,000 in General Allocation Money in exchange for an international roster slot.[18]
^No. 66: Kansas City → New York City FC. June 22, 2022: New York City FC acquired Sporting Kansas City's natural third-round selection.
^No. 67: Seattle → Chicago. February 14, 2022: Chicago acquired Seattle Sounders FC's natural third-round selection in exchange for the College Protected Period Priority for Jackson Ragen.[19]
^No. 72: Columbus → Austin. December 23, 2021: Austin acquired Columbus Crew's natural third-round selection in exchange for switching draft positions in the 2022 MLS Re-Entry Draft.[20]
^No. 75: Orlando → Montréal. January 25, 2022: Montréal acquired Orlando City SC's natural third-round selection and $200,000 in General Allocation Money in exchange for an international roster slot.[21]
^No. 76: Miami → Chicago. January 25, 2022: Chicago acquired Inter Miami CF's natural third-round selection.
