Crew President and General Manager Mark McCullers has written an open letter to fans of the team. The letter is posted below:

I understand our fans emotions.  I understand the concern and the anger.  It means that we have fans who care about their club and that's a good thing.  A lot has been written and said over the past couple of days but here are a few additional thoughts:

*  I can assure you that these players were not disrespected or treated unprofessionally in any fashion.  They actually thanked us for informing them in a timely fashion and thus allowing them adequate time to talk to their families and agents to make decisions for their future.

*  We will do everything we can to create an opportunity for the organization and especially the fans to show gratitude to these players for their exceptional commitment to the club.  They deserve the honor and we will provide the fans the opportunity.

*  The crux of this decision still has not effectively been communicated in the media, in my opinion.  It boils down to this:  to retain Frankie and Guille at their stipulated salary expectations, you must move at minimum two of the following players - Marshall, Gaven, Renteria, Rogers, Ekpo, Mendoza.  To keep Frankie and Guille for one more year, who would you move instead?

*  The door has been left open for all of these players to return to the Crew as part of the organization in the future.  Iconic players such as these will always be valued by the club and I am optimistic that they will be part of the Crew's future some day.

We have created something special at Crew Stadium over the past three years.  These players were a big part of it and it can be their legacy.

I'm always available to speak to fans in person or on the phone - 614.447.4101.

Mark