TFC REPUBLIC

TFC Republic Weekly: December 16-22

John Molinaro -

Welcome to the latest edition of TFC Republic Weekly, an email newsletter that will land in the inbox of both paid subscribers and free members of TFC Republic every Monday.

This newsletter will look at what's in store over the next seven days for Toronto FC, and also get a glimpse of what to expect at TFC Republic in the coming days.

So, without further ado...

Toronto FC acquires Brazilian winger Thiago Andrade

Toronto FC made what it feels was an important roster move last week with the acquisition of Brazilian winger Thiago Andrade.

San Diego FC, who’ll join Major League Soccer as its 30th team in 2025, used its fourth selection in the Expansion Draft to select Andrade from New York City FC.  

San Diego then flipped Andrade to Toronto in a trade that saw the Reds give up their first-round pick (ninth overall) in this week's MLS SuperDraft and an additional $250,000 US in conditional general allocation money (GAM) in future years if certain performance-based metrics are met. San Diego also retains a percentage of a future transfer fee if Toronto sells Andrade to a non-MLS club.  

For GM Jason Hernandez, the addition of the 24-year-old Andrade is a “low risk maneuver” that he believes could give his team an attacking boost next season.

“[He] brings quite a bit of characteristics that I think would be an interesting addition to our current group. Thiago really is very direct and dynamic, and uses his speed to really try to unbalance defences, especially in behind,” Hernandez told TFC Republic and CP’s Neil Davidson.  

“We’re looking at different ways to pick up our tempo at different moments of the match and also at different moments of the season. We think it's an interesting [signing] … as far as only having to [give up a draft pick], understanding that the player has a market, both domestically and internationally.”  

Although primarily a left winger, Andrade can also be deployed as a forward in a front pairing, which is one of the reasons why Hernandez and his staff had been tracking him for some time.  

“He certainly has spent a lot of time at the left wing, and he's also spent time in the front two. And as a team that has been on the other side of Thiago in domestic play, we understand the threat that he poses to back lines the closer he is on the pitch to the final line. Whether it's out wide or playing as a part of a front two and being an out-and-out runner, I think he will create a different wrinkle and a different dynamic for our team,” Hernandez explained.  

Reader mailbag: How can Thiago Andrade help Toronto FC?
The Brazilian winger could turn out to be a good complimentary player at a very reasonable salary cap hit for Toronto FC.
TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

Toronto FC has a pair of picks in Friday's MLS SuperDraft

The 2025 MLS SuperDraft takes place on Friday, giving the 30 teams across the league to add the top NCAA prospects to their rosters.

Toronto FC had the No. 9 pick overall, but traded it to San Diego as part of the deal for Thiago Andrade. As a result, the Reds only have a second- and third-round pick (39th and 69th overall).

GM Jason Hernandez explained why he had no issue giving up the team's first-round pick in the MLS SuperDraft to help land Andrade.

“Considering we're going to be intentional on how we integrate our academy prospects in our first team, that number nine pick in the draft wasn't something that was incredibly relevant for us with our understanding of the player pool this year. And so, we thought it was an interesting opportunity to take,” Hernandez said.

Toronto used the No. 1 pick in last year's draft to select winger Tyrese Spicer from Lipscomb University in Nashville.

TFC Flashback: Reds win MLS Cup rematch vs. Seattle
Toronto FC completed one of the greatest seasons in league history when it defeated the Sounders at BMO Field in the 2017 MLS Cup.
TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

Will the Reds make a move for any MLS free agents?

MLS free agency officially kicked off last Thursday. That means Toronto FC and other clubs are now allowed to engage in contract talks with unrestricted free agents who are free to sign with any MLS club they choose.  

To be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent, out-of-contract and option-declined players have to meet the following criteria:  

  • 1) They must be at least 24 years old during the 2024 season, and  
  • 2) They must have at least five years of MLS service under his belt. 

From the sounds of it, TFC will be active in the market this off-season as GM Jason Hernandez looks to retool his roster ahead of the 2025 MLS campaign. 

"Free agency is something we're going to leverage, for sure… This is still a place where people in MLS feel very fond of and if there's opportunities to club and be a part of the city, people typically listen. So, I think we'll be active in the free agent space," Hernandez said during October's locker clean out day. 

Random thoughts on TFC: Slow rebuild not a sign of inaction
The majority of the work on retooling the roster will occur in January as Jason Hernandez’s hands have largely been tied this off-season.
TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

Stage 2 of MLS Re-Entry Draft is on Thursday

For the second year in a row, Toronto FC took a pass in stage 1 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft.

TFC did not make use of its eighth overall pick in last Friday's event, and was one of 27 teams across the league that didn't make a selection.

However, the Reds still have a chance to claim somebody during stage 2 of the re-entry draft on Thursday (1:00 p.m. ET).

The re-entry draft is one of those convoluted player mechanism rules that is unique to MLS. Essentially, it applies to players who are either out of contract or had their contract option declined and who are not eligible for free agency. Players must be at least 24 years and have five years of MLS service under their belts to qualify for unrestricted free agency.

Players who are at least 22 years old and have a minimum of one year of MLS service and who are either out of contract or had their option declined are not eligible for free agency. Instead, they go into the re-entry process where they can be selected by another MLS team.

TFC Tidbits: Reds to play CF Montreal in 1st round of Canadian Championship
The 2025 Canadian Championship is going to start off with a bang for Toronto FC with an opening round match vs. CF Montreal.
TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

TFC Republic is going on vacation

TFC Republic will be on hiatus over Christmas and into the New Year as I take some much-needed time off. What that means is I won't be writing any stories, doing any video blogs or sending out the weekly newsletter. I'm completely shutting things down so I can take a break and enjoy time with my family and friends. I'll send out an email to all subscribers with more details on the morning of Dec. 23.

Even though the website will not be updated during my vacation, I will still be checking my email on a regular basis. So, if subscribers need to get a hold of me for any reason, please don't hesitate to drop me a line. You can reach me via email at jmo1897@gmail.com. You can also contact me via Twitter.

And, of course, should any major Toronto FC news break, I will end my vacation early in order to provide the type of in-depth coverage you have come to expect from TFC Republic.

Stories to look out for at TFC Republic

The MLS SuperDraft takes place on Friday at 3:00 p.m. ET (streamed live on Apple TV). TFC Republic will have in-depth pre- and post-Draft coverage this week.

Other stories that will be published later this week include:    

  • TFC Republic names its Toronto FC player of the year for 2024.
  • A special Q&A with former Toronto FC midfielder Maurice Edu.
  • A feature story on Toronto FC's history at the MLS SuperDraft.
  • The finale of our "TFC year in review" series looks back at the months of September and October.  
  • An in-depth review of TFC 2's 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season with James Grossi.
  • Regular "TFC Tidbits" stories throughout the week.   
  • A full recap on the second stage of the MLS Re-Entry Draft on Thursday. TFC has the eighth overall pick.
  • The 2025 MLS regular season is expected to be released this week. If it drops, we'll have an in-depth news report.
  • And more!

TFC Republic mailbag

TFC Republic will feature a regular reader mailbag column where I answer questions from subscribers about Toronto FC and Canadian soccer in general.

I'll answer the best questions submitted to me by TFC Republic readers, so feel free to drop me an email at jmo1897@gmail.com. You can also reach out to me via Twitter and Facebook.

(Top photo courtesy of Andy Truong/Toronto FC)

TFC Republic has a comments section! At the very bottom of every story, there is a feature where you can post your comments, so be sure to share your thoughts and views.