The San Jose Earthquakes parted ways with designated player Simon Dawkins on Friday.
Dawkins signed a DP contract in 2016 but only scored five goals in 43 games and only played three times after Dominic Kinnear was fired in June.
In buying out Dawkins' guaranteed contract for 2018, the Earthquakes free up a DP slot for Swedish striker Magnus Eriksson, who joined the team in December.