It has been about 10 days since San Diego FC announced their final roster decisions. Since then, a couple of trades have been announced, the MLS SuperDraft has taken place, and San Diego FC is a step closer to starting their 2026 campaign.
The Final Roster
First, let’s look at the final roster decisions from 2025. San Diego FC announced last week that the team has picked up options on goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega, defender Ian Pilcher, and midfielder Anibal Godoy. Each player played an integral role down the stretch during SDFC’s playoff run. Sisniega had to fill in for CJ Dos Santos during the playoffs and received four starts during the regular season. Pilcher made an incredible save at the goal line in the match against Minnesota United and ended the season with 17 appearances and 8 starts. Meanwhile, Anibal Godoy served as the veteran presence in the locker room. 2026 will mark Godoy’s 12th season in the league; he played 1,700 minutes in 2025, his highest total since 2021.
The team also announced the permanent transfer of Onni Valakari through 2028, with an option for 2029. The transfer fee is $1.5 million. While his exact salary wasn’t reported, if he’s making roughly what he earned last year, Valakari could be around $750k–$800k for 2026. This means the total impact on the salary cap and TAM would be approximately $1.3 million a year for the next three seasons, including the prorated transfer fee. Valakari has been worth the money during his SDFC tenure, playing in all 34 regular-season matches while filling multiple positions. He was the “Swiss Army knife” that provided the flexibility the team needed, and he provided memorable moments like scoring the first home goal ever at Snapdragon Stadium and the first playoff goal in club history.
Another option exercised was for David Vazquez from the Philadelphia Union. The Union receives $250,000 in GAM, with an additional $250,000 if certain metrics are met. Vazquez made two starts and played in four matches for SDFC in 2025. He turns 20 in February and still has plenty of room to grow within the team. One of the biggest pieces of news, however, was the re-signing of forward Amahl Pellegrino through 2026, with options for 2027 and 2028. No financial details were released, but it will be interesting to see if San Diego matches the $850k salary he had in San Jose. Pellegrino was on a massive late-season run, recording six goals and three assists through the end of the season and into the playoffs. He seems like a perfect fit at left wing for the SDFC system.
The departures from the club include Luca De La Torre, Franco Negri, Emmanuel Boateng, and Corey Baird, while Aiden Harangi’s loan concludes on December 31st. Negri began the year as a starter but eventually lost his role to Luca Bombino at left back. His most noticeable accomplishment in 2025 was that insane pass in San Jose to Marcus Ingvartsen. Emmanuel Boateng saw his playing time drop as Baird and Pellegrino joined the squad. Corey Baird, who arrived from FC Cincinnati during the summer window, found it tough to learn a new system on the fly. He struggled in the number nine role, scoring zero goals in 250 minutes, though he did contribute three straight matches with an assist during the playoffs.
The most disappointing player of 2025 was Luca De La Torre. As a U.S. National Team player coming from La Liga, there were high hopes for him at his hometown club. He finished with five goals and one assist in 30 matches but lost his starting job down the stretch. It does not appear that Celta Vigo wants him back, so they may explore selling his contract to another MLS club.
Trades / Signings
With these moves, San Diego has 26 of 30 roster spots filled. Taking one of those senior spots is Lewis Morgan, acquired in a trade with the New York Red Bulls for $450,000 in 2026 GAM (which could rise to $650,000). Interestingly, San Diego will get $525,000 in GAM back from New York in 2027, making this essentially a “GAM loan.” Tyler Heaps is buying low on a player who was elite in 2024. While injuries limited Morgan to just three matches in 2025, his 2024 stats were impressive: 13 goals, 5 assists, and high rankings in shots and xG. Beyond his offense, he is an excellent defender for his position. It will be interesting to see how he fits a possession-based system, as the 2024 Red Bulls were 27th in possession and relied heavily on counter-attacks.
San Diego continues the trend of picking up young talent. SDFC traded for 22-year-old Kieran Sargeant from the Houston Dynamo for a 2026 natural third round pick. Sargeant spent 2025 on loan with Lexington SC in the USL Championship, playing over 2,200 minutes at left back. He is a prototypical wingback who gets into the box, recording five assists while maintaining strong defensive numbers. Additionally, the club signed 23-year-old Wilson Eisner through 2027. Eisner played mostly center back and right back for The Town FC in MLS Next Pro. He is another player involved in the attack, but he is highly rated for his defensive abilities, including 160 duels won and 32 interceptions. Both Sargeant and Eisner will provide important depth on the backline.
MLS SuperDraft
Finally, in the MLS SuperDraft, San Diego selected midfielder Martin Laula, forward Remi Agunbiade, and goalkeeper Kyle Durham. It is unlikely they will be on the 2026 roster; they will likely be placed on the College Protected List. SDFC’s situation is different this year; last year they needed immediate help and found gems like Manu Duah and Ian Pilcher, but now they have a foundation of young players that just need time to develop. Personally, I think sports drafts are a bit silly and players should be able to sign where they want, like in Europe. The silliness reached a new level Thursday when the Colorado Rapids drafted Mamadou Billo Diop—a player who has already been playing for their own second team all year. I’d think a player already in your system should be excluded from the draft, but MLS likes to MLS, and I guess formalities must be followed.
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