As 2025 comes to a conclusion in less than a week, it’s a good time to reflect on Red Bull New York’s offseason thus far. The past month or so has seen a flurry of changes that New York hopes can turn around their fortunes for next season.
The biggest change by far this offseason was Red Bull New York II manager Michael Bradley being promoted to become the first-team’s leader. While that has been discussed heavily amongst pundits and fans alike, what about the players who have left and those that are coming to the club? Here’s a rundown of what’s been happening with the club as of late.
Hometown Arrival
While the MLS SuperDraft is not as star-studded as say the NFL or NBA Drafts, it’s still full of talented and remarkable players. One player in particular comes in the form of Syracuse goalkeeper, Tomas Hut. Hut was selected by New York last Thursday with the 21st overall pick in this year’s SuperDraft.
Hut was a standout for the Orange the past two seasons. Notably, he was selected to the All-ACC Third Team in 2025 and served as a team captain for the Orange.
But what may get fans excited for this young goalkeeper is that he is a local product. During his high school playing days, the Nutley native attended soccer powerhouse Seton Hall Prep and played for head coach Marty Berman. Berman during his legendary tenure as the Prep’s coach has developed many outstanding players including that of Mason Toye.
It’s not likely Hut will see minutes with the first-team in 2026, but the future looks promising for New York in net. If he performs well just like in high school and college, Hut will be a fan-favorite in Harrison. Commence the Pizza Hut jokes.
Thank You for Your Service
Even through numerous changes at the club the past few seasons, goalkeeper Carlos Coronel and defender Kyle Duncan remained grounded with the club. That, however, was not the case this time around.
For Duncan, New York parted ways with the Jamaican international, after his option declined. This was announced on November 26 as part of the club’s end of year roster decisions.
It was also announced that Coronel would not be returning with his contract expiring. The loss of Coronel was a tough one for New York to swallow. Among one of the best keepers in Major League Soccer (MLS), Coronel was a reliable piece for the squad and will be missed.
All signs did point to the Paraguayan international moving to Orlando City SC for the 2026 campaign. Recent reports suggest, though, that the goalie is heading to Brazilian side São Paulo now. Coronel was slated to replace Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
Welcome Back
Veteran MLS defender Tim Parker and goalkeeper A.J. Marcucci were both solid for New York in 2025. As a result, both players were rewarded extensions with the club heading into 2026.
Despite tearing his ACL vs the Philadelphia Union in the U.S. Open Cup back in August, the 26-year-old performed well. Making seven appearances with a 4-1-2 record in all competitions last season, New York saw enough and re-signed him to a four-year MLS contract.
Onto Parker now, New York re-signed the longtime MLS defender to a one-year contract, including an option through June 2027. Returning to the club in 2025, Parker saw his role elevated towards the club’s playoff push late in the season. One highlight of his season came vs CF Montréal when he scored a goal in New York’s 2-0 win on September 20 in Montreal.
Bringing back Parker and Marcucci were definitely good decisions made by the club. Fans will hope these decisions pay dividends towards New York’s bigger goals.
Shipping Off to Other Parts
Red Bull understood that 2025 was unacceptable for everyone involved. Decisions had to be made regarding certain players, regardless if they were beloved or despised. Within the past month, three players were told to pack their bags because they were traded.
Midfielders Peter Stroud and Lewis Morgan, as well as defender Sean Nealis were all recipients of trades conducted by the club. Stroud will be heading to Minnesota United FC, Morgan to San Diego FC and Nealis to rivals D.C. United.
The two notable trades here are Morgan and Nealis. Nealis was the team’s captain prior to Emil Forsberg’s arrival and also scored Red Bull’s only goal in the 2024 MLS Cup.
As for Morgan, despite his great talent, he was injury-prone. There was hope that 2026 could have seen him, Forsberg, and forward Eric Choupo-Moting form an incredible scoring trio. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.
Decisions had to be made and while some may disagree, New York has a plan to get back on track.
Welcome to Harrison
Now it’s time to introduce some of the new faces coming to New York in 2026.
First up, former San Jose Earthquakes member Cade Cowell comes over on loan from Liga MX side Chivas de Guadalajara. It will be a year-long loan with a permanent transfer option at the end of it for the 22-year-old.
“We are very excited to add Cade to our roster, he is a quick, skillful attacking player that will be an important part of our frontline next season,” Head of Sport Julian de Guzman said back on December 17. “He has had proven success in MLS, and we are looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish with us.”
Additionally, Red Bull have also brought in defender Justin Che from Danish side Brøndby IF on a three-year contract. Che has experience playing in MLS, playing for FC Dallas from 2020 to 2023. The Texas native will look to aid Red Bull’s backline in the new season.
“Justin is a versatile player that has vast experience both overseas and in MLS and we are pleased to have join our organization,” de Guzman said on December 16.
One other new addition made by New York was made in-house with the club completing the transfer of midfielder Nehuen Benedetti. Last season with RBNY II, Benedetti was named to the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Best XI squad. The 20-year-old Argentina native signed a four-year contract that will go through 2029 and have an option in 2030.
Before Benedetti joined RBNY II in 2025, he spent the past two seasons on loan with Club Estudiantes de la Plata.
“Nehuen is the type of player who wants to get better every single day,” manager Michael Bradley said in a press release Tuesday. “His work rate is excellent, and we are looking forward to giving him this opportunity with our first team.”
