A positive transitional year for Toronto FC as they continued the long climb out of the deep hole they found themselves in started really promising, but ended without the playoffs.
John Herdman took over as head coach while the front office worked hard under flexibility constraints to add a few smart signings to overturn the team.
This overhaul was always going to take multiple years. So far, they’re sticking to it and not losing patience. More urgency for results will come in 2025, but this year ended up as a very useful bridge from one era to the next.
The winter should provide much greater roster flexibility than recent years, but how much? We shall see. In the offseason guide:
State of the Roster
Head coach: John Herdman
Chief Soccer Officer: Jason Hernandez
The Good
Federico Bernardeschi is on a number of Best XI ballots this season and the argument is fair (I had him on my second team XI, an unofficial category, but that’s how good he was this year). That potential outcome was unfathomable this time last season. It has been so much fun to watch.
Herdman had the team very competitive most of the season despite it being a transitional year as the club continued to overhaul from the previous era.
In this group, the likes of Bernardeschi, Richie Laryea, Jonathan Osorio, Deybi Flores, Matty Longstaff and Sean Johnson are plus starters. Kevin Long had a strong debut season. Henry Wingo is another I think will come good over a full season, after arriving this summer.
Tyrese Spicer was an excellent choice with the No. 1 overall SuperDraft pick last year. There was not a consensus number one selection, it was not a no-brainer decision. They smashed that.
The makings aren’t as bad as the goal difference (-21) suggests.
The Bad
Lorenzo Insigne may be the single-worst contract in the history of Major League Soccer. That is not hyperbole.
Insigne made $15 million in 2024, the third year of a four-year deal (with a fifth year club option… I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that won’t be picked up!).
Toronto have made the playoffs zero times since Insigne’s arrival. They have finished bottom of the league once. They have surpassed 40 points zero times.
Insigne has played 54 of 81 available games. Only 46 starts, only 14 goals. Locker room controversy and culture questions have followed him.
The defense was improved but still needs more work. Center forward has been inconsistent for years.
Is the long-term plan to still have Bernardeschi at right wing-back, or will he be reset to one of the three attacking players next season?
Can Herdman and his staff truly develop a young academy talent into a first team regular? Toronto has struggled with this for a long time, the latest example being Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty’s trade to Montréal.
Flexibility
Toronto FC can sign either one designated player and two U-22 initiative signings or zero DPs and three U-22s plus up to $2 million in GAM, pending which route they go.
The club announced their end-of-season roster update, where they announced most contract option decisions. One big one left is Prince Owusu, the club’s leading scorer last year, but the fifth-highest salary and not always being trusted as the starting center forward. Will he be back?
Another year of GM Jason Hernandez and his staff overturning the roster and regenerating assets. This winter should come with more flexibility than previous years because of the good work done.
Offseason Priorities
How can Toronto get out of the Insigne deal? Is it possible without eating all the remaining money on the deal? Will ownership sanction that if it came to it, spending $15 million for a player not on the roster? When that $15 million is more than SIX (!) MLS teams spent on their total salary this year?
Easy to say yes when it’s not your money, but this would be almost as significant an investment as another club-record signing. Would there even be room for another big time DP (by quality, not name) to be signed?
This situation is dire. Hopefully, there’s a way out for all parties.
That is the first and central question of the winter. Even if Insigne stays, will TFC sign another DP or invest in the U-22 initiative? Since Bernardeschi and Insigne arrived, discretionary spending has been to a minimum. I can’t blame them— What return on investment did ownership see under Bill Manning? They were an expansive team, nowhere near challenging for the playoffs.
I hope there’s a clean slate for Hernandez and co., and I think they’ve earned it, but again, I can’t totally blame ownership if they’re still a little gun shy.
Beyond that, a center forward (hopefully a DP) and further defensive help.