HARRISON, N.J. (November 28, 2016) - The New York Red Bulls announced today that the club will pick up contract options on midfielder Sean Davis and defenders Chris Duvall and Justin Bilyeu. The club will not pick up options for defenders Karl Ouimette and Ronald Zubar.
Additionally, 2016 MLS Golden Boot Winner Bradley Wright-Phillips had his option exercised.
"We want to thank Karl for his service to the club over the last two years," said Sporting Director Ali Curtis. "Despite not picking up Ronald's option, the club is in discussions to bring him back for next season."
Wright-Phillips won his second MLS Golden Boot in three seasons with 24 goals in the 2016 regular season. BWP set a slew of franchise records in 2016, including career goals (69), game-winning goals (20), multi-goal games (16) and hat tricks (4).
Davis, a second year Homegrown Player out of Duke University, made 21 MLS appearances and recorded two goals and three assists, highlighted by a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win over the Montreal Impact in August. Davis also earned regular minutes in the U.S. Open Cup and Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions league last season.
Duvall, a second-round pick from the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, set new career highs in appearances (25), starts (20), and assists (2) in his third season with New York.
Bilyeu, the Red Bulls' first-round pick from 2016, made three MLS appearances as a rookie, including one start, and also saw time in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions league play.
New York finished the 2016 regular season with a 16-9-9 record, the best in the Eastern Conference for the third time in four years. The Red Bulls open 2017 with the club's first appearance in the Quarterfinals of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, with a home-and-home series against the Vancouver Whitecaps, beginning with a match at Red Bull Arena on Tuesday, February 22.
