Austin FC select Danny Hoesen in Expansion Draft

MLS conducted the 2020 Expansion Draft on Tuesday, and lo and behold, the San Jose Earthquakes were indirectly involved, as 2021 expansion team Austin FC selected forward Danny Hoesen with the No. 1 pick.

Hoesen is out of contract with the San Jose Earthquakes after four seasons at the club, and the team had already announced the Dutch forward will not be returning for the 2021 season, so this is not a particularly consequential departure considering he was not in their plans, anyway.

And in fact, because Austin selected an Earthquakes player (for a couple more weeks officially), not only will San Jose get a chunk of allocation money, $50,000, for technically losing a player, they will also be exempt from the next Expansion Draft and therefore don’t have to worry about losing a player next time around.

So basically the Quakes are getting something for nothing, really, and so it’s all a bonus for them. I had said that I didn’t expect an Earthquakes player to be taken after Austin and San Jose made a trade to send defender Nick Lima to the expansion outfit, and while I was technically wrong, this was a player I imagine the Quakes were not upset to lose because they were already planning to part ways with him anyway.

There will be more offseason roster activity this week, we’ll keep you posted if the Earthquakes are involved in any of it.

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