Potential free agent targets for the Houston Dynamo ahead of the 2025 season

(image via dumasinforma.com)

It’s that time of year again when MLS free agency begins and teams get the opportunity to add both starters and depth to their rosters. Let’s take a look at two options in every position group that would be good additions for the Dynamo to sign as free agents, as well as a third option as a wild card that might be a weird team fit but could be interesting.

Goalkeepers

Tim Melia

With Steve Clark out the door, the Dynamo are searching for a new goalkeeping option. Unfortunately, there are no exciting names available in free agency and it is likely the Dynamo look elsewhere for a shot stopper. Tim Melia would be the most similar to Clark as a long time MLS veteran. This would likely be only a season long deal.

Alex Bono

Alex Bono is a younger option than Melia, but a worse player overall. He has had some decent years in Toronto and most recently a lackluster season in D.C. Bono is another name that would be good enough to start but not someone to get excited about.

JT Marcinkowski

This would be my wild card pick of the bunch. JT Marcinkowski is coming off a brutal injury but he was a starting caliber goalkeeper in MLS from a young age. This would be an odd choice as a starter but that’s kind of why I like it.

Defenders

Jaylin Lindsey

The Dynamo backline is already one of the best in MLS and does not need really anything in terms of starters, unless Micael gets sold this summer. What the team can use is depth with Tate Schmitt, Brad Smith, and Daniel Steres all departing. Jaylin Lindsey would come in as a perfect depth piece who can play both sides as a fullback and is well rounded enough to play either of Franco Escobar or Griffin Dorsey’s roles. He would be more of a fit as a backup to Escobar, which is a massive hole to fill without Steres around.

Xavier Arreaga

Xavier Arreaga is an odd player who has always been talented but hasn’t found his footing in MLS the past few seasons. He could be a perfect player to add to bolster the centerback depth on the roster. If Ben Olsen can unlock the Arreaga we initially saw in Seattle, then he can challenge Micael and Sviatchenko for starting minutes.

Raheem Edwards

This would be my wild card pick for the defenders just because he is fun. He is a similar style fullback to Dorsey where he essentially plays a winger. He had five assists last year in Montreal and can provide some width on the left side. He could be the new Brad Smith.

Midfielders

Anibal Godoy

One of the biggest needs this offseason is a proper backup to Artur. Jefferson Valverde has been nothing but disappointing since his arrival and Junior Moreno must not have done enough in training to stick around. Anibal Godoy would be the perfect player to add to this team and would be my number one option amongst all available free agents. He has been a starter in this league for 10 seasons now and nearly has 150 caps for Panama. He also knows quite a bit about playing with Coco Carrasquilla.

Yamil Asad

I actually listed Yamil Asad as a good free agent option last season for the Dynamo. Cincinnati ended up signing him and he was a valuable member of that team. He can provide depth on both the right wing and at the attacking midfield spot. He would be an awesome player to watch operate in that right wing position in Ben Olsen’s system.

Ryan Raposo

The wild card for the midfielders would be Ryan Raposo because he would actually be a great addition not to play midfield but play right back. He is a player built off work rate like Griffin Dorsey. The Dynamo really need a player to challenge Dorsey or start in case he gets an injury. There really hasn’t been a similar profile to him on the right in the last two seasons.

Forwards

Kei Kamara

The Dynamo really do not need any more forwards with Ezequiel Ponce and Sebas Ferreira taking up DP spots as strikers and having three U22 initiative players on the wing, along with Exon Arzu. All they could really use is a veteran backup striker and Kamara is that guy, and has been that guy for years now. Kamara would add a different profile than Ponce and would be a great leader with all his MLS experience. It would be an awesome return of a former Dynamo player as well.

Cory Burke

Cory Burke is a similar name to Kamara at this point in his career. He can provide a bigger profile and be a veteran backup striker. He has been to two MLS Cups in the last three years so he is doing something right. He isn’t an exciting name but would bolster the squad overall.

Mason Toye

Mason Toye would be my forward wild card due to all the untapped potential this player has. This is a player that had loads of hype coming out of college and started repaying that hype with an eight-goal season for Minnesota in 2019. It has been downhill since, as every team he has landed on never gave him a real shot to develop into the player we thought he would be. He likely wouldn’t get that opportunity in Houston either, but it would be a fun addition as a second-choice striker.

Overall, don’t expect any big names to come in through free agency this offseason due to a lack of exciting names available. The exciting names that are available seem to be in positions where the Dynamo are looking for depth and not starters. This is still an opportunity to add quality to a roster that lost some valuable depth this offseason so far.