MLP 2025: Team-by-Team Breakdown of Potential Player Transactions

The Major League Pickleball 2025 Season is right around the corner!

We just published the MLP 2025 Season Updates. If you have not read that article, I HIGHLY recommend you do so. It will be much easier to follow along with my logic throughout this article.

There are 24 days until keepers/drops must be submitted to MLP. This gives teams a little over three weeks to make trades before announcing their keepers.

This article is my view of each team, as they stand today. There may be updates/edits to this article as players are signed and/or rules are tweaked.

One HUGE caveat that needs to be said: Teams do not pay the players salaries – the UPA pays the players’ contracts. Instead, in order to keep a player, the team must pay half of their 2024 Draft Points as dollars, to MLP.

Example: Ben Johns was drafted for 840,000 Draft Points in 2024. In order for the Carolina Pickleball Club to keep him, Carolina needs to pay $420,000 to MLP (half his Draft Points in dollars).

PREMIER LEVEL TEAMS AND THEIR CURRENT PLAYER SALARIES

This chart shows the salary each team would owe to MLP if they kept every player on their roster. Obviously that is not allowed, but I think this chart depicts where each team stands.

NOTE: AS MLP TRADES ARE ANNOUNCED, I WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THIS ARTICLE

CHALLENGER LEVEL TEAMS AND THEIR CURRENT PLAYER SALARIES

TEAM BY TEAM ROSTER AND SALARY ANALYSIS

FOUR NOTES BEFORE WE GET INTO EACH TEAM:

A player who was acquired after the initial 2024 draft (and therefore unable to be kept) is highlighted gray and bolded and italic
A player who is NOT signed with the UPA exclusively is highlighted in red ***to the best of my knowledge***. There is very little publication about who is, or is not, signed as a UPA player. This is the best information I have at this time
A player who is NOT signed with the UPA AND was acquired after the initial 2024 draft is highlighted red, bolded, and italic
The 2024 Player Ranking is listed for each player – this is MY player ranking, not the one that is on the MLP website. MLP uses points won percentage as the top sorting feature. I believe game win percentage is much more important than points won percentage. I used a simple rule – rank every player in Premier Level that played at least 30 games.
The 2025 Roster Cost is what the team has to pay to the league in order to keep that player in 2025.

Examples of the above:

The Black Bears show all of the examples above. Lina was initially drafted in 2024 in Challenger and was traded, and is signed with UPA – she is the only player on California that can be kept. Hendry was drafted, but is not signed with the UPA. Haworth was not drafted and is not signed with the UPA. French is signed with the UPA, but was not initially drafted in 2024.

The order of teams is the highest salary down to the lowest salary.

PREMIER LEVEL

ORLANDO SQUEEZE

Total Team Salary: $635,000

2024 player transactions after the initial draft: Orlando traded Jay Devilliers for Tyson McGuffin and, later in the year, traded Parris Todd for Meghan Dizon. They have the highest salary of any team.

Likely to Stay:

Federico Staksrud – $200,000
Tyson McGuffin – $145,000

Fed is a top five guy in all disciplines and is one of the best all around players, and he isn’t terribly expensive compared to others in the top five. While Fed and Tyson didn’t have a great 2024 campaign together, they seem to get along well and if you have a good right side guy in men’s that can also play a good mixed game from the left, you probably want to keep Tyson as well.

Could be Traded/Dropped:

Meghan Dizon – $150,000
Vivienne David – $140,000

Dizon and David are both easily top 15 women. They both prefer (and are better) on the right side. Since Orlando needs to drop at least one player, I think they try to trade either Viv or Meghan for cash and a player they will eventually drop. They will then have to pay handsomely for a woman who prefers the left side during the waiver period, as they will be in demand.

Most Likely Outcome: I am guessing Dizon is in enough demand that a team trades a player and cash for her and then Orlando drops that player. Orlando keeps Fed, Tyson, and Viv.

COLUMBUS SLIDERS

Total Team Salary: $509,000 $235,000

2024 player transactions after the initial draft: Columbus traded Connor Garnett for Jay Devilliers, Genie Erokhina for Callie Smith, and Meghan Dizon for Parris Todd.

2025 player trades: Riley and cash was traded for CJ Klinger

Likely to Stay:

Riley Newman – $275,000- Well I was wrong here – Riley was traded to NY
Parris Todd – $92,500
CJ Klinger – $1,000

Riley is the only player on this team that I am confident will stay. The only reason the Sliders would drop Riley is if they didn’t think he is a premier, elite player anymore and didn’t want to pay the $275k for him. I doubt that to be the case, but if they are looking to save money, the first place to look is Riley. In terms of Parris, she is easily a top 15 woman and costs less than $100k – no-brainer to keep her, unless you get an unbelievable trade offer. CJ being added makes sense in a salary dump. I still think AZ might be in the mix to trade for CJ.

Could be Traded/Dropped:

Callie Smith – $74,000
Jay Devilliers – $67,500

Callie is most accustomed to the left side in women’s doubles and plays the right in mixed. I would put her in the bottom half of women in the Premier Level, but her low salary could make her an attractive trade candidate. Jay was dealing with an injury at the end of 2024, but seems to be fully healed.

Most Likely Outcome: I expect Devilliers to be dropped, CJ is traded, and then Riley will be able to find a free agent to partner up with. Callie gets traded, while Parris stays.

LA MAD DROPS

Total Team Salary: $500,000

2024 player transactions after the initial draft: This is the same exact team that was drafted to start 2024.

Likely to Stay:

Catherine Parenteau – $220,000
Jade Kawamoto – $85,000
Hunter Johnson – $20,000

Catherine is the marquee player for the Mad Drops. Jade and Hunter played great in 2024 – well above their draft slot and since they cost so little, will likely be kept.

Likely to be dropped:

Thomas Wilson – $185,000

Obviously, Thomas is a great player. He was taken 10th overall, in 2024. He has been dealing with health issues since June and hasn’t been able to play. LA was forced to rely on substitutes through much of 2024, while Thomas was on IR. He makes the most sense to drop. I am hoping Thomas is able to find a solution to the health problems that continue plaguing him – everyone in pro pickleball misses him.

Most Likely Outcome: LA keeps Catherine, Jade, and Hunter. Wilson is dropped and LA is searching for a left side guy to pair with Hunter. If only Julian Arnold wanted to play MLP again…. if only.

NEW JERSEY 5S

Total Team Salary: $499,000

2024 player transactions after the initial draft: This is the same exact team that was drafted to start 2024.

Likely to stay:

Anna Leigh Waters – $220,000
Zane Navratil – $85,000
Mari Humberg – $49,000

Anna Leigh was by far the MVP of all MLP in 2024. She is the franchise player every team is looking for and whatever New Jersey has to pay for her, they will. Zane and Mari played great complimentary roles, even if their stats weren’t great. Mari could make for an interesting trade prospect if other teams are looking for a great left side woman in both mixed and women’s (think teams with lefties).

Has to be dropped:

Will Howells – $27,500

Will was my Most Improved player in 2024. Because he is not exclusively signed to the UPA, he will not be allowed to play MLP in 2025. Howells will have to be dropped, forcing the 5s hands. If Howells signs with the UPA, the 5s will definitely be choosing between Zane and Mari for who to drop. Or look to trade one of them and then drop that player they traded for. Howells has turned himself into a top 5 left side guy and at $27k is a steal, if they are able to keep him.

Most Likely Outcome: Howells is dropped due to the new rule and the 5s are in search of a left side guy.

ST. LOUIS SHOCK

Total Team Salary: $498,500

2024 player transactions after the initial draft: This is the same exact team that was drafted to start 2024.

Likely to Stay:

Anna Bright – $295,000
Hayden Patriquin – $102,500

Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin finished 2 and 3 in terms of my ranking for 2024. They were unbelievable together and have great chemistry on and off the court (you don’t go for a 45 mile hike through the Grand Canyon with someone you don’t like).

Could be Traded/Dropped:

Gabe Tardio – $92,500
Kate Fahey – $8,500

I can think of three possible outcomes for the Shock:

They drop Gabe and buy him back with one of the first waiver pickups
They drop Kate and buy her back with one of the first waiver pickups
They trade Kate for cash and a player, drop that player, and then pick up a woman in waivers

Kate will cost the most to buy back – if she is dropped, she will likely be the hottest commodity in waivers. A simple fact of MLP is that the top women are worth more than the top men – top women are scarcer than top men. Kate has a VERY high value as a trade asset because she only costs $8,500. The only way Kate is traded, though, is if Anna Bright and/or Ross Chaifitz is certain of their next up-and-coming woman to target to replace Kate. The Shock have as much capital available as any other team, so I don’t think they really care about the costs as much.

Most Likely Outcome: Gabe is dropped and is then the first overall waiver pickup. The reason I slightly lean this way is the rule about players acquired in 2025 free agency – they can be kept for three years. To be able to keep Gabe for 2025, 2026, AND 2027 would be a big win.

NEW YORK HUSTLERS

Total Team Salary: $495,500 $627,000

2024 player transactions after the initial draft: This is the same exact team that was drafted to start 2024.

2025 player trades: Traded CJ Klinger to Columbus for Riley and cash. Also traded Jackie Kawamoto to D.C. for Viv Glozman and cash.

Likely to Stay:

Jackie Kawamoto – $142,500 – Boy was I wrong here
CJ Klinger – $1,000 – And again
Vivian Glozman – $0 – I can’t imagine NY getting rid of a player that costs them nothing to keep.

Jackie and CJ are the most consistent players for the Hustlers. Jackie has one of the best roll drops in all of pickleball. CJ has moved himself into the category of top 3 lefties in the game. Their low price tags are an added bonus.

Could be Traded/Dropped:

Jack Sock – $275,000
Lea Jansen – $77,000
Riley Newman – $275,000

Jack is tied for the fourth-largest salary bill in all of MLP. While his ceiling is super high, his floor is super low. His inconsistency is hard to handle as the number one player on the team. Lea also has a super high ceiling and struggles with inconsistency at times. Elite level women are going to be in high demand, and I think Lea would be a very valuable trading asset because teams are going to become desparate for a top 10 woman like Lea.I don’t see NY keeping Riley – he just costs too much for that.

Most Likely Outcome: Jack is either dropped or traded, and Lea is traded. The Hustlers keep CJ and Jackie. I think NY drops Riley and keeps Viv Glozman.

TEXAS RANCHERS

Total Team Salary: $491,500

2024 player transactions after the initial draft: The Ranchers traded Pablo Tellez to the Brooklyn Aces for Martin Emmrich and cash. They then dropped Emmrich and picked up Quang Duong in the first Waiver Period.

Likely to Stay: