Exactly one month since the Chicago Fire played its final match of the 2016 season, GM Nelson Rodríguez on Wednesday provided the first glimpse of how the 2017 roster will shape up.
Working in partnership with Veljko Paunovic and his staff, Rodríguez announced the nine players -- a mix of league veterans and young-but-proven talent -- whose 2017 contract options had been picked up by the club. Coupled with the eight guaranteed contracts for next season, the group brings Chicago’s current roster count to 17, though Rodríguez has not yet closed the book on possible returns for any of the nine players whose options were not exercised.