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What deals have Columbus Crew made this offseason? 4 moves that may have been missed
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- What deals have Columbus Crew made this offseason? 4 moves that may have been missed
It's been a quiet offseason for the Crew.
In the more than two months since the Crew were knocked out of the MLS Cup playoffs in the first round by New York Red Bulls on Nov. 3, they have made two signings.
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Evan Bush , an MLS veteran who's been with the Crew since 2021, was re-signed as a free agent following the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2024 season.
Lappalainen, a 26-year old midfielder, has experience playing on the front line from his six seasons with CF Montreal.
More Crew news: Colombian forward Marino Hinestroza, 22, will be rejoining Columbus Crew
Crew general manager Issa Tall entered his first offseason in the position hinting the club may opt to have little movement during the offseason, claiming Columbus could "copy and paste" last season's roster for 2025.
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"We are not looking to make additions just for the sake of making additions," Tall said. "If we are adding players, it's for us to be better, always. We're talking about a group that just broke club records. ... So, at the end of the day, the group of players we have is strong."
Crew GM Issa Tall said he started keeping a list of potential coaching candidates 18 months ago.
The Crew have kept to a modest offseason, but there have been deals outside player acquisitions and decisions made that will effect the club's developmental levels.
Here are four things you may have missed during the Crew offseason:
GK Nicholas Hagen has contract extended
Crew starting goalkeeper Patrick Schulte is entering his final season of his rookie contract after the club picked up his club option for the 2025 season. While Tall said he is talks about a new contract for Schulte, the Crew have also secured the future of their goalkeeper depth this offseason.
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Goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen, who started for the Crew in their 2024 Leagues Cup title victory over Los Angeles FC , had his contract extended through 2026, with options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
The 28-year-old joined Columbus as a free agent last offseason , signing a one-year deal for $100,340. The contract also included a club option for 2025, which Columbus picked up.
Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen makes a save against Charlotte on July 17.
In 2024, Hagen played five regular-season games in which he recorded 19 saves and allowed 5 goals.
Columbus Crew deal with San Diego FC ahead of MLS expansion draft
The MLS is adding its 30th team for the 2025 season, San Diego FC.
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In preparation for the new team, the league held an expansion draft on Dec. 11 and Columbus was required to leave six players on its roster at the time unprotected for San Diego to select. No Crew players were taken.
Two days before the draft, Columbus did make its first deal with the new club, sending an international roster spot to San Diego for $100,000 in general allocation money, which is added to Columbus' cap space.
Columbus Crew trade first-round pick of 2025 MLS SuperDraft
The annual MLS SuperDraft took place on Dec. 20.
The Crew traded their first round pick at the No. 21 spot to Real Salt Lake for $75,000 in general allocation money.
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With the No. 51 pick in the second round and the No. 81 pick in the third round, Columbus selected defender Cesar Ruvalcaba out of SMU and forward Drew Kerr out of Duke, respectively.
Crew 2 coach Kelvin Jones departs from club
San Diego, despite choosing to pass on Columbus players in the expansion draft, did hire the Crew 2's head coach Kelvin Jones to an assistant position on the first team.
Jones took over for Laurent Courtois as coach for the Crew's development team when Courtois was hired as CF Montreal's coach during the 2024 offseason. Jones led Crew 2 to an 11-9-8 record in the MLS NEXT Pro regular season, and to the Eastern Conference final.
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The Crew have yet to announce a replacement for Jones.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: A rundown of moves Columbus Crew made during 2025 MLS offseason
