Supporters of Atlanta United got a glimpse of what it will cost team owner Arthur Blank to fill his expansion club’s roster with the release of MLS players’ salaries by the group’s union earlier this week.
Summing up some of their findings and some of my own:
Orlando City’s Kaka is the league’s highest-paid player at $7.167 million in compensation. The 34-year-old midfielder has scored 11 goals in 33 games over slightly more than a season.
Two Toronto forwards, Sebastian Giovinco ($7.1 million) and Jozy Altidore ($4.8 million) are among the highest paid. Giovinco is clearly worth the money with 30 goals in 44 starts. Altidore may not be, with 13 goals in 33 appearances since his return from Europe.
Not all Designated Players cost as much as Kaka, Giovinco and Altidore, nor or all the league’s best goal scorers Designated Players.
Portland’s Fanendo Adi has scored eight goals this season to Giovinco’s nine. He makes $712,500 with a salary that falls into Targeted Allocation Money range.
But it's obvious where the money goes: scoring goals, not trying to stop others from scoring.
Just four Designated Players are defenders.
Atlanta United President Darren Eales and technical director Carlos Bocanegra have said they want a team strong up the spine.
That would indicate spending money on central defenders, midfielders and target strikers.
But as you can see, spending money on forwards can be a fool’s errand for the lack of return that a lot bring.
Chicago (stats from regular season appearances)
David Accam, F/M, $770,937.50: 12 goals in 28 appearances since 2015
Gilberto, F, $1,145,000: 5 goals in 18 appearance since 2015
Kennedy Igboananike, F, $901,666,67: 11 goals in 41 appearances since 2015
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Colorado
Kevin Doyle, F, $1,120,000: 7 goals in 28 appearances since 2015
Shkelzen Gashi, M, $1,668,750: 2 goals in 10 appearances this season
Juan Ramirez, M, $85,000: 1 goal and 3 assists in 27 appearances last season; on loan this season
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Columbus
Federico Higuaín, M, $1,175,000: 38 goals and 34 assists in 113 appearances since 2012
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D.C. United
Fabian Espindola, F, $200,000: 19 goals in 52 appearances since 2014.
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Dallas
Fabian Castillo, M/F, $170,750.00: 31 goals and 27 appearances in 150 appearances since 2011.
Mauro Diaz, M, $544,400: 16 goals and 20 assists in 60 appearances since 2013.
Carlos Gruezo, M, $686,500: 0 goals and 0 assists in 11 games this season.
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Houston
DaMarcus Beasley, D, $813,333.33: Logged almost 4,000 minutes since coming back to MLS in 2014.
Erick Torres, F, $650,000: 22 goals and 4 assists since 2013, but no goals and two assists in past two years.
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L.A. Galaxy
Giovani dos Santos, F, $4,250,000: 8 goals and 10 assists in 17 appearances since 2015.
Steven Gerrard, M, $6,132,500: 4 goals and 6 assists in 20 appearances since 2015.
Robbie Keane, F, $3,500,000: 77 goals and 44 assists in 113 appearances since 2011.
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Montreal
Didier Drogba, F, $2,166,667: 15 goals and 4 assists in 18 appearances since 2015
Lucas Ontivero, M/F, $440,000: 0 goals and 1 assist in 9 appearances this season
Ignacio Piatti, M, $425,000: 19 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances since 2014
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New England
Jose Goncalves, D, $479,375: Almost 9,000 minutes with 4 goals in 100 appearances since 2013
Kei Kamara, F, $1,000,000: 79 goals and 31 assists in 235 appearances since 2006
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New York City
Frank Lampard, M, $6,000,000: 3 goals and 1 assist in 10 appearances since 2015
Andrea Pirlo, M, $5,915,690: 0 goals and 7 assists in 23 appearances since 2015
David Villa , F, $5,610,000: 26 goals and 8 assists in 42 appearances since 2015
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New York Red Bulls
Bradley Wright-Phillips, F, $710,000: 48 goals and 11 assists in 85 appearances since 2013
Gonzalo Veron, M/F, $500,000: 1 goal and 1 assist in 17 appearances since 2015
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Orlando City
Kaká, M, $7,167,500: 11 goals and 9 assists in 33 appearances since 2015
Carlos Rivas, M, $80,000: 1 goal and 4 assists since 2015
Bryan Róchez, F, $259,500: 3 goals in 16 appearances since 2015, none this season
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Philadelphia
Maurice Edu, M, $793,750: 4 goals and 3 assists in 53 appearances since rejoining MLS in 2014
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Portland
Lucas Melano, F, $760,000: 1 goal and 5 assists in 25 appearances since 2015
Liam Ridgewell, D, $1,250,000: Almost 4,600 minutes played since 2014
Diego Valeri, M, $550,000: 26 goals and 38 assists in 97 appearances since 2013
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Real Salt Lake
Juan Manuel Martinez, F, $1,458,666.67: 3 goals and 3 assists since 2015
Yura Movsisyan , F $200,000: 2 goals in 10 appearances since rejoining MLS this season
Joao Plata, F, $175,000: 28 goals and 27 assists in 118 appearances since 2011
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San Jose
Simon Dawkins, M, $800,000: 1 goal and 2 assists since rejoining MLS this season
Innocent Emeghara, F, $1,300,000: 1 goal in 12 appearances since 2015
Matias Perez Garcia, M, $250,000: 3 goals and 9 assists in 40 appearances since 2014
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Seattle
Nelson Valdez, F, $1,455,000: 1 goal and 1 assist in 14 appearances since 2015
Clint Dempsey, F, $4,605,941.50: 28 goals and 20 assists in 64 appearances since rejoining MLS in 2013
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Sporting Kansas City
Matt Besler, D, $733,250: More than 17,000 minutes since 2009
Graham Zusi, M/F, $732,102.27: 24 goals and 47 assists in 184 appearances since 2009
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Toronto
Jozy Altidore, F, $4,825,000: 13 goals and 2 assists in 33 appearances since rejoining MLS in 2015
Michael Bradley , M, $6,500,000: 7 goals and 11 assists in 61 appearances since rejoining MLS in 2014
Sebastian Giovinco, F, $7,115,555.67: 30 goals and 21 assists in 44 appearances since 2015
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Vancouver
Laba, M, $720,500: 2 goals and 2 assists since 2013
Pedro Morales, M, $1,258,900: 21 goals and 19 assists in 65 appearances since 2014
Octavio Rivero, F, $890,850: 11 goals and 3 assists in 44 appearances since 2015
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