Earthquakes, under new manager Arena, decline contract options for several key players
The Earthquakes may let some familiar faces enter free agency as Bruce Arena makes over their roster.
The team declined 2025 contract options on eight players including Tommy Thompson, who has been in the Quakes’ system since 2014, three-year starting striker Jeremy Ebobisse and keepers J.T. Marcinkowski and William Yarbrough. A team release noted that contract negotiations with these players may be ongoing; free agency negotiations with new clubs cannot begin until Dec. 12.
Ebobisse tied for second on the team with six goals, his lowest output since arriving via trade from Portland in 2021.
Yarbrough started 19 games for the Quakes this season after arriving from Colorado via trade last offseason but played only sparingly in the second half of the year. Marcinkowski started 89 games for San Jose between 2020 and 2023 before
Additionally, midfielder Jackson Yueill is out of contract this offseason.
The Quakes agreed to a new contract through 2026 with forward Preston Judd and picked up 2025 options for goalkeeper Daniel, defenders Daniel Munie and Jamar Ricketts and forward Ousseni Bouda.
Daniel took over starting in goal in the back half of the season and started 22 games last season, too.
Arena takes over as head coach and sporting director of a team that hasn’t had a winning record in more than a decade. The Quakes have messaged that owner John Fisher will increase investment in the team after being near the bottom of the league in payroll for much of that time, including 26th in 2024.