Columbus Crew decline options on four players, including Pedro Santos and Erik Hurtado

The first offseason decision the Columbus Crew made came quickly, when coach Caleb Porter was let go less than 24 hours after the season ended.

The next round of decisions came Wednesday morning, as the club announced they have picked up contract options for 2023 on eight players and declined options on four players.

Contract options were exercised on goaltenders Evan Bush and Brady Scott, defenders Jonathan Mensah and Steven Moreira and midfielders Artur, Luis Diaz, Darlington Nagbe and Isaiah Parente. Defenders Jalil Anibaba and Pedro Santos, midfielder James Igbekeme and forward Erik Hurtado had their options declined. Midfielder Derrick Etienne Jr. and defender Marlon Hairston are both out of contract.

The team's release said that the Crew are in negotiations with "select players" to return in 2023, despite having their option declined or being out of contract.

"We have a talented group of players on this roster who can contribute as we build towards a successful 2023 season," general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement. "As we continue the search for our next head coach, we believe we have a solid core and a good blend of players for the incoming coaching staff to work with, from the veteran leaders who have experience winning championships, and talented young players who have shown this season that they can make a difference on the field."

Santos is the only player whose option was declined who was a regular member of the starting XI. He converted from left wing to left back and made 28 starts in 34 games, playing 2,333 minutes with one goal and two assists.

Hurtado made four starts and played 423 total minutes across 14 appearances with three goals. Anibaba played just 226 total minutes in five appearances, with three starts.

Igbekeme, who was on loan from Spanish club Real Zaragoza, made eight starts and had 23 total appearances. He did not record a goal or an assist in his 901 minutes. After appearing in 22 of the Crew's first 24 games, Igbekeme played in just one of the final 10 games of the season. His loan will expire Dec. 31.

Hairston made just three appearances and played a total of 153 minutes.

Etienne finished second on the team with nine goals, one behind Zelarayan's 10, and also tallied six assists in his 2,216 minutes. He made 25 starts and 33 total appearances, while also being a key weapon off the bench — most notably when he scored twice in the final minutes to lift the Crew to a win over the New York Red Bulls.

Crew midfielder Perry Kitchen retires from soccer

Perry Kitchen didn't play in the 2022 season after having surgery to repair a herniated disk in August 2021. The original timeline for his recovery was eight to 12 weeks, but Kitchen also suffered nerve damage that affected his right leg and was unable to resume his career. He announced his retirement Wednesday.

Kitchen only made five appearances for the Crew after signing as a free agent in early 2021, as he missed two months with a hamstring injury prior to his back surgery, but he played in more than 200 MLS matches over the course of his career. He was selected by D.C. United with the third overall pick in the 2011 SuperDraft and spent five seasons there, making 138 appearances and scoring 10 goals.

In 2016, Kitchen moved to Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premiership and played two seasons there before moving to Randers in the Danish Superliga. He returned to MLS with the LA Galaxy in 2018 and played 60 games for the Galaxy over three seasons.

Updated Columbus Crew roster

The Crew currently have 23 of their 30 roster spots filled for the 2023 season. The roster will continue to evolve through the beginning of 2023, as the trade window opens Nov. 7-9, the St. Louis expansion draft takes place Nov. 11, free agency begins Nov. 16 and the SuperDraft is held Dec. 21.

Goalkeepers (4):Evan Bush, Eloy Room, Patrick Schulte, Brady Scott

Defenders (7):Milos Degenek, Mo Farsi, Jonathan Mensah, Steven Moreira, Jake Morris, Will Sands, Josh Williams Midfielders (10):Artur, Luis Diaz, Kevin Molino, Alex Matan, Aidan Morris, Darlington Nagbe, Isaiah Parente, Yaw Yeboah, Sean Zawadzki, Lucas Zelarayan Forwards (2): Cucho Hernandez, Jacen Russell-Rowe

Matan was loaned to Romanian club Rapid Bucuresti in early August. Rapid Bucuresti has an option to purchase Matan when the loan ends Dec. 31. If that option is declined, Matan will return to the Crew in January for preseason training.

bjohnson@dispatch.com

@BaileyAJohnson_

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew 2022 offseason roster decisions, contract options