Fire negotiating with out-of-contract Schweinsteiger, Kappelhof, Polster

The first of what will be likely be many offseason moves, the Chicago Fire announced on Monday the club exercised the 2019 contract options on six players, including midfielder Brandt Bronico.

The other players who had their options picked up were Diego Campos, Stefan Cleveland, Jorge Corrales, Raheem Edwards and Nico Hasler, who joined Elliot Collier, whose contract was exercised Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Fire declined contract options on seven players, including Jonathan Campbell, Drew Conner, Michael de Leeuw, Daniel Johnson, Patrick McLain, Yura Movsisyan and Luis Solignac.

Campbell, Conner, de Leeuw, McLain, Movsisyan and Solignac are eligible to participate in the MLS Re-Entry Draft. Johnson is eligible for the MLS Waiver Draft.

With eight players guaranteed for next season — Mo Adams, Nicolas Del Grecco, Aleksandar Katai, Grant Lillard, Dax McCarty, Djordje Mihailovic, Nemanja Nikolic and Richard Sanchez — the Fires roster for 2019 currently stands at 15.

Johan Kappelhof, Matt Polster and Bastian Schweinsteiger are out of contract. The Fire announced the club are negotiating with all three, as well as de Leeuw.