Sporting KC parts ways with Medranda, Zendejas in MLS Expansion Draft

Sporting Kansas City parted ways with two players this week, with both goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas and defender Jimmy Medranda heading to MLS newcomer Nashville.

Medranda was one of 10 Sporting KC players unprotected during the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft Tuesday. New franchises Nashville and Inter Miami each selected five unprotected players from across the league.

Medranda was Nashville’s fifth and final pick of the draft. Once a player was selected from a team, all other unprotected players from that team were made unavailable for the remainder of the draft.

Medranda joins Latif Blessing, Alec Kann and Sal Zizzo in a growing list of Sporting KC players selected in the growing league’s expansion drafts since 2014.

Zendejas was subsequently traded to Nashville following the draft for $125,000 in 2020 Targeted Allocation Money, $50,000 in 2020 General Allocation Money and an international roster spot for the 2020 season.

“We’d like to thank Adrian and Jimmy for all of their contributions to the club over the past several years,” Sporting KC manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes said in a team-issued news release. “We wish them all the best in their future careers.”

Medranda spent seven years in Kansas City. He was on the roster for the club’s 2015 and 2017 U.S. Open Cup victories as well as the 2013 MLS Cup victory. He recorded five goals and eight assists in 108 appearances during his time in Kansas City.

Zendejas made five appearances for Sporting KC between 2017 and 2019 but spent most of his time here with Sporting Kansas City II (formally the Swope Park Rangers), making 54 USL Championship appearances.

Further moves are expected in the coming days for Kansas City, with MLS set to release Friday a list of players who are available in free agency.

This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Sporting KC parts ways with Medranda, Zendejas in MLS Expansion Draft."