Since the MLS Draft this winter, there "have been rumblings about a 'core player' or 'core designated player' introduced this summer to help teams add another DP-level player," but it "looks like MLS fans will have to wait until at least the start of 2016 ... for those 'core players' to show up on rosters," according to Paul Tenorio of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. A source this week said that the "core player" concept "appears to be off the table for the time being." While there "was hope to get details finalized in time for the July transfer window, those discussions have apparently been shelved." Sources made clear that there "was still plenty of debate about how exactly the core player would be defined and how the money would be spent." A source said that the league "was looking at giving teams a maximum of $1.8 million to spend on one player over a two-year period, and that the money would have to be spent on a player from outside MLS." The source added that there "was some debate about whether to allow a portion of the funds to be used to buy down other contracts." The source said that some teams "believed the core player designation should be valid for current MLS players who fall into that range." However the "core player" is defined, the prevailing thought around the league is that "creating another way to sign high-level players is a good step for MLS" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/11).
