Potential free agent targets for the Houston Dynamo ahead of the 2026 season

Yesterday, MLS released the names of all the players available in free agency, waivers, and the re-entry procces. Now, it’s that time of year again when teams get the opportunity to add both starters and depth to their rosters. Let’s take a look at the crop of free agents and a few options in every position group that would be good additions for the Houston Dynamo to sign.

Goalkeepers

Jacob Jackson

The Dynamo don’t really need a goalkeeper with Jonathan Bond and Jimmy Maurer under contract and youngsters Blake Gillingham and Pedro Cruz waiting in the wings. But…if they do opt to bring in a goalkeeper, Jackson would make some sense. He’s still young, 25, and has bounced around MLS on three teams in the past three seasons. He played well for FC Dallas last year in four matches played and three starts.

Maxime Crepeau

Bond’s numbers weren’t great last season. He ranked at the bottom of the league in post-shot xG plus/minus. That means he let in a lot more goals than he should have based on the xG data. If the Dynamo were to look for a starter to replace him, they’d probably be out on the higher end options like Sean Johnson and Dayne St. Clair. But Crepeau, a Canadian international, has a lot of experience in MLS, and is looking to rebound from two so-so seasons with Portland after leaving LAFC.

Defenders

Walker Zimmerman

The USMNT veteran is among the top options for MLS clubs this winter. The Dynamo desperately need center back help and Zimmerman would immediately come in and make this team better. But where is Houston on his list of desired locations? A return to FC Dallas would make a lot of sense, as would his hometown team Atlanta United. If the Dynamo could land Zimmerman, and it’s a big if, they would instantly become a much better team in 2026.

Brandon Bye

The Dynamo have never really had a backup option to Griffin Dorsey. Houston likes to play Dorsey as a wingback, bursting up the field into the attack. Bye has spent all his career with the New England Revolution playing a similar role. He may be looking for a team that would start him but if Bye is content being a backup, it would make a lot of sense for the Dynamo to go after him.

Henry Kessler

Kessler has struggled a lot with injuries over the past few years. He is still just 27 years old and with the Dynamo needing center back it would make some sense to bring in Kessler and see what he can give you. Obviously, the injury risk will probably leave the Houston front office gun shy as they already have that with Erik Sviatchenko and Antonio Carlos. But if Kessler can stay healthy, another big if, he could be a starting center back for the Dynamo. One of his similar players according to his FBref profile? Former Dynamo center back Micael.

Midfielders

Diego Fagundez

Fagundez will turn 31 in February but he can play a number of positions. For a Dynamo team that is now without Amine Bassi and Sebastian Kowalczyk, he would be a nice piece to start when needed and come off the bench late in games to provide a spark.

Gaston Brugman

Another former LA Galaxy player, Brugman’s move to Nashville didn’t work out as hoped. He is a fantastic passer and would fit really well in the possession style that Houston likes to play. He’s 33 but having him behind Artur and Brooklyn Raines, like Junior Urso in 2025, would be a nice addition to the Dynamo and they way they hold onto the ball in midfield.

Oliver Larraz/Bryce Duke

I’m lumping these two players together. They’re both just 24 years old and could still offer a lot. Larraz is more of a defensive midfielder. He could be a nice option off the bench to spell the starters. Duke had high hopes early in his career with LAFC but then moved to Inter Miami and Montreal. He still needs to develop but he’s a good distributor and has solid defensive numbers for an attacking midfielder. It may be worth taking a shot on him. 

Cristian Espinoza

It will likely take a Designated Player contract to sign Espinoza so this is a long shot. The Argentine led MLS in key passes last season and is the kind of creative player that any team in MLS would love to have, especially the Dynamo.

Paul Rothrock

If you can’t beat em, sign em? Rothrock has terrorized the Dynamo while with the Seattle Sounders and now at 26 years old is available. He’d be a great fit as a winger in the way Houston plays. But, with rumors of Guilherme joining and Lawrence Ennali penciled in as a starter on the wing, there likely would be nowhere to put a player like Rothrock.

Sebastian Lletget

Another veteran that has been around the league and at a high level for a long time. Lletget would provide a good option in midfield should Brooklyn Raines leave soon and take his talents to Europe. He started 14 matches for FC Dallas last season so he could be valuable in a number of roles and as a veteran leader.

Forwards

Josef Martinez

Martinez is getting older but he is still very good at finding the back of the net. He scored plenty for two bad teams, Montreal and San Jose, the last two seasons. He doesn’t do much outside of scoring goals but if the Dynamo can put creators around him, he would be worth looking at, even on a TAM deal.

Christian Benteke

He’s 35 and will probably want to go to a competing team but Benteke is unstoppable in the air. Could you imagine him on the end of Jack McGlynn’s deliveries? 

Overall, don’t expect any big names to come in through free agency this offseason. The Dynamo are coming off a season where they missed the playoffs and the guys they may be eyeing in intra-league moves are probably depth pieces. This is still an opportunity to add quality to a roster that lost some valuable depth this offseason so far.