Whitecaps re-up Erik Hurtado; Blas Pérez now a free agent

Erik Hurtado signing a two-year contract extension with the Whitecaps highlighted a busy day for Vancouver’s MLS club.

Hurtado is now locked in until 2018 at least; his contract has a further two years of team options.

Another 11 players saw the option on their contracts for 2017 picked up: goalie Paolo Tornaghi, defenders Christian Dean, Jordan Harvey, Tim Parker, and Cole Seiler, midfielders Marco Bustos, Kianz Froese, Ben McKendry, Nicolás Mezquida, and Russell Teibert, as well as winger/striker Kekuta Manneh.

“We have built a strong core and are pleased with where we are at in the process of building our roster for next season,” said head coach Carl Robinson said in a statement.

The team also announced that Blas Pérez is now a free agent and is eligible for the MLS re-entry draft process. Stage one is Dec. 16, stage two is Dec. 22.

Former No. 3 goalie Marco Carducci has also been cut loose. Signed to a first-team contract in 2014, he made starts in the Amway Canadian Championship that season. But he spent the last two years with WFC2, and was fell behind both Paolo Tornaghi and Spencher Richey in the second-choice start battle for games versus ACC and CONCACAF Champions League opponents.

“I wasn’t able to guarantee him any games,” he told Farhan Devji.

And as Marc Weber reported last month, the team also confirmed on-loan defenders Fraser Aird and Jordan Smith will return to their home clubs.