The Crew announced on Friday that the club has mutually agreed to terminate the contract of forward Kevin Molino .
This announcement comes a day after it was confirmed that Molino was absent from training camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla. and had been away from the team since the beginning of the preseason. Molino, who was supposed to be entering his fourth season with the Crew, was also excluded from Columbus' 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup roster, which was revealed on Wednesday.
"After speaking with Kevin, we have agreed to allow him to pursue other opportunities," Crew president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement. "It's been a pleasure to work with him, including winning an MLS title last season, and we wish him all the best in the future."
Recording nine regular season appearances and zero starts in 2023, Molino had a very limited role in Columbus last season. Although the specifics of this agreement and how much, if any, of Molino's $750k contract is being paid has not been disclosed, this move is expected to open up additional cap space for the club.
When the Crew's end of season roster decisions were made back in December , the club's decision to pick up the 33-year-old's 2024 option came as a bit of a surprise. Molino, who in addition to seeing little playing time, was also prone to injuries and had required knee surgery towards the beginning of 2023.
"Kevin's an ultimate pro, he's a great person," said Bezbatchenko back in December when asked about the decision . "Where the roster is now, we'll see where it is at the beginning of the year, let's put it that way."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew mutually agree to terminate Kevin Molino's contract
