MLS Salaries Thread

[ChrisE]

We've been getting salary information from the players union for two years now, I figure it's about time that we start picking it apart in a dedicated thread.

2004 salaries can be found here (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/soccer/01/06/mls.salaries.sa/)
2005 salaries can be found here (http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/teams/...rticle_id=3103).

So to begin with, I'll continue my long-standing vendetta against old players imported into the league.

I don't know how many players MLS brought in (foreign or domestic) 2005, but we've got the salaries for 65 full roster players, and 68 developmental players. For comparison, I divided the full roster players into four approximately equal quartiles, sorted by salary, and divided the developmental players into two gorups, 18 of whom were paid $16500, 50 of whom were paid $11700.

For comparison purposes, the 65 full roster players are listed at the bottom, divided into quartiles, and ranked by minutes played. Here's a graph summarizing the data:


Salary Minutes Median $ Avg Min $/Min Age # Players
1Q $2,876,419 23216 $127,500 1366 124 28.8 17
2Q $847,726 17644 $49,125 1103 48 24.0 16
3Q $636,500 13703 $37,500 806 46 22.5 17
4Q $439,250 17827 $28,000 1188 25 24.1 15
High Dev $297,000 10882 $16,500 605 27 22.9 18
Low Dev $585,000 6313 $11,700 126 93 22.6 50






I tried to write up a nice explanation of this, but I really think it's pretty self-explanatory. The top earning imports were probably the best out of the group, but it's extremely hard hard to believe that they were good enough to make more than other five groups combined, especially when accounting for their older age.

Particularly disappointing was the group of low developmental players, who were actually quite expensive per minute, and only produced three real prospects - Gonzalo Segares, Knox Cameron, and Eric Vasquez. I'd like to think that this group will be stronger next year, since it won't be quite so stretched by expansion, but without the spots opened up by expansion, the group might perform even worse. It may just be that MLS has, to my surprise, tapped out the talent. Despite the reserve league and expansion, their $/min was worse than any previous developmental class. I'm not really sure how the league would go about addressing this problem in a cost effective manner - signing more P-40's is just a stopgap, but they can't cut back the number of developmental players and still field a legitimate reserve league.



W Barrett M Parkhurst C Mendes B Boswell
R Ramirez B Guzan F Mendoza Thiago
I Guerrero P Nagamura L Gonzalez U Ihemelu
G Vanney A Nkong H Freeman S Sealy
C Mathis H Cuadros D O'Rourke G. Ramirez
D Sequeira A Begines T Ward M Schulte
Y Djorkaeff R Mina J Ochoa M Rodriguez
F Caballero D Moor K Smith J Riley
P Chinchilla M Umana J Watson C Simms
I Romo L Cullen L Fitzpatrick J. Wilson
Naldo A Ibrahim C Barrett G Melamed
A Loera J Thorrington J Stewart L Kreamalmeyer
L Reiter R Pore M Enfield A Lopez
M Zuniga D Washington C Edozien A Yi
S Guppy L O'Brien W John N Van Sicklen
Q Kirk Cassio C Jimenez
N Besagno M Diallo



High Developmental
C Rolfe
K Cutler
H Gomez
A Pitchkolan
E Arias
T Roberts
A Thompson
D Gargan
J Nolly
M Storey
M Chisoni
A Lowery
D Branan
M Ueltschey
T Merritt
L Gallardo
M Erush
V Arbelaez

[s0ccerm0m]

Wow, you did a lot of work here. I think part of the issue with the junior developmental players is that, at least at DC, if they get on the field consistently, they get upgraded. Boswell started the year as a junior developmental player but then was upgraded to full squad when he was playing all of the time. If other clubs follow that same path, the players who were still junior development at the end of the year probably saw very little playing time throughout the season and therefore would be expensive, per minute played.

[numerista]

So Chris, my guess at where you're headed with this is that given its current salary budgets, MLS would be better off spending money to expand senior rosters rather than spending more on foreigners who cost $200K to $300K per year. Looking at how teams like the Quakes and Revs succeeded in 2005, I suspect that you could make a pretty good case for that.

But in terms of public image, I suspect that it is also important for the league to have a decent number of impact foreigners, particularly ones who have strong resumes. Any thoughts on how to go about doing this? Or how much it would cost?

[ChrisE]

So Chris, my guess at where you're headed with this is that given its current salary budgets, MLS would be better off spending money to expand senior rosters rather than spending more on foreigners who cost $200K to $300K per year.

I'm nothing if not predictable. In addition to that point, which I think would be a pretty obvious benefit to the league, even if it didn't stop the Galvan Reys, I'd like to see the allocation system restructured. At present, an allocation basically has to be spent - you can trade it, and cut it up, which is an improvement on the past, but it's still money that absolutely, positively, must be used either on a transfer fee or on salary cap relief. First off, I'd like to see allocations replaced with sandwich picks in the Superdraft - this would shift MLS teams away from what is almost inevitably a losing strategy - acquiring players from leagues who pay significantly more than we do - to our main competitive advantage, developing young players.


But in terms of public image, I suspect that it is also important for the league to have a decent number of impact foreigners, particularly ones who have strong resumes. Any thoughts on how to go about doing this? Or how much it would cost?

Which foreigners in the league currently have strong resumes, though, n? Galvan Rey, Youri, and the Chivistas are all I count right now - I just don't think they're making much of a difference. I suspect that the problem with the league's current approach is that it's half-assed - they're spending enough to get average players who make mediocre impacts and attract minimal publicity. If they're simply going for publicity and legitimacy, I'd much prefer the Beckham exception or whatever they're calling it - spend enough to get strong players who are going to excel, and attract attention to your league. Otherwise, focus on providing the best product on the field for the lowest cost, and get rid of these wasteful old guys.

[ChrisE]

Wow, you did a lot of work here. I think part of the issue with the junior developmental players is that, at least at DC, if they get on the field consistently, they get upgraded. Boswell started the year as a junior developmental player but then was upgraded to full squad when he was playing all of the time. If other clubs follow that same path, the players who were still junior development at the end of the year probably saw very little playing time throughout the season and therefore would be expensive, per minute played.

Whoops, considering how much time I spend on developmental players, I should have made note of this. It turns out that only two players on the full roster list were developmental players at any time in the season - Bobby Boswell and Luke Kreamalmeyer. Unfortunately, I've got no idea how much the $16500 and $11700 categories switched around during the season.

Thanks

[numerista]

Which foreigners in the league currently have strong resumes, though, n? Galvan Rey, Youri, and the Chivistas are all I count right now - I just don't think they're making much of a difference. I suspect that the problem with the league's current approach is that it's half-assed - they're spending enough to get average players who make mediocre impacts and attract minimal publicity. If they're simply going for publicity and legitimacy ...

... then they shouldn't bury their Adidas Elite signings by listing them all at once in a late-afternoon press release. (Sorry, just wanted to get that off my chest.)

As for who has a strong resume, that probably depends on your viewpoint. While there certainly aren't any ex-candidates for FIFA World Player of the Year, to some extent there's a cachet to having played in Europe at all. And even though Ronnie O'Brien never actually appeared for Juventus, the fact that he signed there does get mentioned quite often (along a similar line, John Thorrington's ManU reserve experience has been one heck of a meal ticket).

As for other players' backgrounds, Christian Gomez spent several years wearing a #10 jersey in Argentina's first division, and Jose Cancela played for legendary Uruguayan club Peñarol. Off the top of my head, Valakari, Cooke, and Jaime Moreno all have EPL experience, and last year, the league also had three Hondurans who had been on teams in major European leagues: Guevara (La Liga), Caballero (Serie A), and Guerrero (EPL). Plenty of other Central American and Caribbean players are bigshots in their home countries, as well.

[s0ccerm0m]

Whoops, considering how much time I spend on developmental players, I should have made note of this. It turns out that only two players on the full roster list were developmental players at any time in the season - Bobby Boswell and Luke Kreamalmeyer. Unfortunately, I've got no idea how much the $16500 and $11700 categories switched around during the season.

Thanks

I know that on DC United, players switched spots between Junior Development and Senior Development. I believe that one or two were even downgraded from full roster to developmental. I'd have to go back through all of the press releases to figure it out, but I know it happened. I have no idea whether the other teams were as active with the assignment of their squads as was United. I remember thinking that, unlike Boswell who got an unexpected raise, some of these guys got unexpected, and significant, pay cuts. If you had signed a lease and then had your pay cut in half, that would be a huge burden. I guess better than being completely unemployed, except maybe not, because many of these guys could make a lot more with their college degrees than they are getting trying to play soccer.

[ChrisE]

... then they shouldn't bury their Adidas Elite signings by listing them all at once in a late-afternoon press release. (Sorry, just wanted to get that off my chest.)

I agree, this is a strange shift in league policy. I know that a few years earlier, the P-40 signings were announced in smaller groups, throughout December. If this shift in policy is supposed to make a bigger impact, I don't think it's working.


As for other players' backgrounds, Christian Gomez spent several years wearing a #10 jersey in Argentina's first division, and Jose Cancela played for legendary Uruguayan club Peñarol. Off the top of my head, Valakari, Cooke, and Jaime Moreno all have EPL experience, and last year, the league also had three Hondurans who had been on teams in major European leagues: Guevara (La Liga), Caballero (Serie A), and Guerrero (EPL). Plenty of other Central American and Caribbean players are bigshots in their home countries, as well.

To be honest, I interact with few people outside of bigsoccer who have much of an idea who plays for MLS teams, much less who used to play in the EPL, so maybe I don't understand what you're going for here. However, I'm not sure why you think that having players who washed out at Middlesborough or Real Vallidolid or wherever helps the league out. I agree that having Amado Guevara and Carlos Ruiz and other may help attract certain nationalities to the league, but I don't think this has much to do with the players' resumes - their fans don't care where these guys have played, apart from the national team.

In any case, I'm not at all against signing guys like Ruiz and Guevara - these middle-aged Central American players, who we've plucked out of leagues that pay less than MLS have been many of our most successful imports. In fact, the only guys you named that would fit the "bad signing" criterion that I laid out would be Simo Valakari and Samuel Caballero - while Valakari has been quite successful, it seems unlikely that either of these guys will last past 2006.

I guess either I'm still missing your point, or perhaps you're taking mine a little bit further than I intended it.

[numerista]

To be honest, I interact with few people outside of bigsoccer who have much of an idea who plays for MLS teams, much less who used to play in the EPL, so maybe I don't understand what you're going for here.

Bear in mind, the season-ticket base of MLS teams consists of thousands in populations of millions. The people who actually come to games regularly do get to know a fair bit about the players, and I suspect that the league wants to give them signs of international legitimacy. The European leagues are a big source of that.

In fact, the only guys you named that would fit the "bad signing" criterion that I laid out would be Simo Valakari and Samuel Caballero - while Valakari has been quite successful, it seems unlikely that either of these guys will last past 2006.

I wouldn't count Valakari as a bad signing, either. By the end of 2005, a lot of the old culprits weren't around ... Darryl Powell, John Spencer (towards the end), Steve Guppy, Steve Howey, Igor Simutenkov (towards the end), Vuk Rasovic, Ronnie Ekelund (in his last year), Steve Morrow (in his last year). The list used to be a lot longer, which suggests that the league may have recognized what was happening.

[Kqql]

MLS 2006 Salaries
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/mls/longterm/2006/mls.salaries.html

[keeppah]

I hate reviving an old thread, but I'm attempting to compile some data and am missing the 2005 salaries. If anyone has a working link, I would greatly appreciate it.

[Beech]

I'd also be curious to see how some of our more prominent MLS'rs did with their USMNT salaries added in as part of their net wage for the taxable year. They struck that new deal with the US Soccer Federation back in Feb(?) of 06 to wrap up the appearances and bonuses for the qualifiying, beating Mexico, and making the World Cup roster etc...but I have no idea how to track down the details of that agreement anymore. I'm sure someone has it saved off somewhere.

[scaryice]

I'd also be curious to see how some of our more prominent MLS'rs did with their USMNT salaries added in as part of their net wage for the taxable year. They struck that new deal with the US Soccer Federation back in Feb(?) of 06 to wrap up the appearances and bonuses for the qualifiying, beating Mexico, and making the World Cup roster etc...but I have no idea how to track down the details of that agreement anymore. I'm sure someone has it saved off somewhere.

http://www.soccertimes.com/usteams/2005/dec19.htm

[Highbury]

Houston spends little yet emerges champions

[Yahooo]

I hate reviving an old thread, but I'm attempting to compile some data and am missing the 2005 salaries. If anyone has a working link, I would greatly appreciate it.:cool:

[woodlands]

I just copied the 2006 salaries for all teams into Excel, and sub-totalled based on position (Forward, Midfielder, etc.) Check it out:

Average Salary By Position

Goalkeeper - $58,388
Defender - $61,990
Midfielder - $76,040
Mid/Fwd - $110,444
Forward - $130,562

Average for all positions - $85,329

Basically, the farther up the field you play, the more you make! :)

Something to keep in mind for aspiring pro players.

Now the question is: why?

Is it because the forwards are really more valuable to team's chances of winning?

Or is it because they're more glamorous, get more media coverage and fan support, and are more valuable to the organization's $ revenue?

[James8]

We've been

[Dida]

I believe that it could be because the teams may feel like good forward talent is harder to come by, whereas goalies and defenders are more plentiful and can be replaced with less of a downturn.

A simple cost-benefit analysis would seem that you can pay defenders and goalies less than forwards and still not still not see a dropoff in quality as if you had lower quality forwards.

However, I believe it could be a little of both. Look at most of the designated player positions. Midfielders and forwards for the most part, so that supports the face of the team reason.

[badgoalie85]

do those averages include outliers? if you include players like landon donovan and freddy adu when calculating the average it's going to give you an unrealistic idea of the big picture