Baer: How the new Targeted Allocation Money infusion will affect MLS MLS announced this past Friday that the 23 clubs will continue to receive $1.2 million in Targeted Allocation Money for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. More importantly, the league also announced that each team will have the flexibility to spend an additional $2.8 million in TAM, on a discretionary basis funded by the team, per year in both 2018 and 2019. That last line will have massive affects on the way your team is constructed for the next couple of seasons. ... The $4 million in total TAM will likely increase to $5.2 million in 2018, with most teams expected to push their $1.2 million in mandatory TAM from 2019 into 2018. It will also allow teams to have way more flexibility in terms of their ability to navigate their salary budgets. You should have the roster rules handy while reading the explainer below. Having three Designated Players on your roster, with each carrying a budget charge of $480,626, takes up a 37.5 percent of a team's total space under the salary budget. That DP charge drops significantly if the player is under 23 years old -- but the point stands that DPs hinder teams from signing other quality players onto their senior rosters. That DP charge on the budget is especially troublesome if a player is not making much more than $480,626. Now, that problem should go away. Teams will have the ability to buy down almost any player making less than $1.5 million. Instead of a player making $1,100,000 taking up $480,626 of the budget, there is more than enough money for a team to buy that player down to whatever figure they wanted to. Taking a player who makes $1,100,000 and buying them down to a $150,000 budget charge frees up $330,626 in salary budget. That kind of money is more than enough to acquire another starting-caliber player. With the ability to use up to $5.2 million in TAM next season, we could see teams acquire four or five of these types of players. Teams can of course still to choose to use all three DP spots, but it wouldn't be shocking to see many teams choose to not do so in 2018 and 2019. With the budget space DPs take up, teams can acquire players in the $500,000 to $1,500,000 range and buy them down using all that TAM. Instead of having five players making more than the DP budget charge on their rosters, you may see eight or nine players like this going forward.
Our players in the $500k to $1.5M range that could be bought down with TAM: Vako (DP): $1.4M Wondo (DP): $800k Dawkins (DP): $800k Hyka: $520k Jungwirth: $516k Hoesen: $503k Even though Vako is in the range, it doesn't make sense to buy him down as that would take too much TAM, he should remain a DP. But the Quakes could buy down BOTH Wondo and Dawkins using TAM so they're not DPs, and bring in two other DPs on higher salaries. They could also sign a handful of other players in that "TAM range" with $5.2 million in total TAM. Even if Dawkins is a complete bust, that is enough new money coming in that the Quakes could be starting 8 or so players making $500k - $1.5M. Will they?
The cynic in me wants to believe that teams like TFC, LAG, NYRB, etc. will immediately take advantage of these changes whereas our owners will be content to field a team that makes the playoffs 30% of the time...
Kip Colvey selected in the waiver draft.... Rapids select Kip Colvey, Diop goes to Montreal in 2017 MLS Waiver Draft A recap of today's Waiver Draft:PassPassKip ColveyPassClement DiopPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassPassFCD did not select anyone with the No. 10 pick.— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) December 13, 2017 He was never given much of a shot here, best of luck to him in Colorado.
Colvey being selected by the Rapids was pretty much a foregone conclusion. I hope we don't regret this. While he's certainly not proven to be a Beita or Morrow to this point, defenders we've dealt away seem to have a way of coming back and haunting us...
https://public.tableau.com/profile/fennsk#!/vizhome/MLS2007-present/Wagehistory It looks like the new stadium did boost our spending. We've gone from bottom of the barrel (2008-2011) to just above the bottom teams (2012-15) to around middle of the pack (2016-17)... of course there's still a massive gap between us and the top dogs: By year: 2008: $2.50M 2009: $2.12M 2010: $2.52M 2011: $2.85M 2012: $3.17M 2013: $3.78M 2014: $4.35M 2015: $5.33M 2016: $7.16M 2017: $8.44M
In fact, I wonder if there was a deal in the works behind the scenes earlier. Once it was known that Anthony Hudson was heading to Colorado, I can imagine a few phone calls being made. Kip may have been OK with staying in SJ but would prefer going to Colorado. So, Jesse did him a favor and declined his option knowing Hudson would pick him up.
If there was a deal between the two teams there would have been some compensation, the Quakes got nothing in return. So more like, the Quakes didn't value him (we only have to look at his 0 minutes in 2017 for evidence) and declined his option, and his national team coach picked him up off the waiver scrap heap because why not he's only making like $50k and doesn't take up an international slot.
Yeah either the timing didn't work out in terms of a trade or the Quakes simply weren't paying attention or they just didn't care - they were too busy chasing after the next Euro signing. :-(
Well damn, now with Urena and Colvey gone, who will our brilliant social media team use to promote the Quakes during the World Cup??
Yes, just a jab at the Quakes' social media promotion of guys as international stars when they barely play for us.
Earthquakes Sign Wehan, Ockford and Felipe from Reno 1868 FC The San Jose Earthquakes have signed three players from top affiliate Reno 1868 FC, both clubs announced on Thursday. Defender Jimmy Ockford and midfielders Chris Wehan and Luis Felipe were all signed to deals this offseason
LA Galaxy to sign San Jose keeper David Bingham The LA Galaxy are in the final stages of completing a deal that would see them acquire San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper David Bingham, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC. If the deal is completed, San Jose will receive a combination of General Allocation Money and Targeted Allocation Money between $200,000 and $250,000. Bingham, 28, joins the Galaxy after enduring a difficult 2017 campaign, one in which he lost his starting spot in San Jose to Andrew Tarbell.
Can you imagine a signing like this under the Doyle/Kinnear regime? Earthquakes Sign 15-Year-Old Defender Jacob Akanyirige to Homegrown Player Contract The San Jose Earthquakes have signed 15-year-old defender Jacob Akanyirige to a Homegrown Player contract. He becomes the youngest-ever signing by the Earthquakes, the third-youngest player currently in MLS (Gianluca Busio – SKC, George Bello – ATL) and the eighth-youngest to ever sign a pro contract in league history. “Jacob has shown an incredible amount of potential at such a young age,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. “We challenged him to play above his age this year and were impressed by his maturity and technical abilities. We are confident he will continue to develop with regular First Team training exposure.” Akanyirige, 15, joined the Quakes’ U-15 squad ahead of the 2016-17 academy season from Ballistic United SC. He has been competing for the U-19s in 2017-18, despite being age-eligible for the U-17s.
Ah! This may have been in the works for a while. $200K-$250K (plus the $50K for losing Urena) of TAM is excellent and likely why Bingham was protected. Could not afford to have LAFC steal him away.. Our cap now (base plus all the TAM/GAM) should be close to $10M. I love this. It allows us to create a team with greater depth.
Wow, the Quakes seem committed to growing and nurturing our own... never would have happened under Doyle.
Pardon my ignorance but why did we waive Colvey, Mfeka and Silva? To make way for the 3 Reno guys we just signed? I'm not judging because, candidly, I've hardly seen these guys play at all. I'm just trying to understand.
Two of 3 were Intl and all 3 new signings are not. But I think they simply decided Silva wasn’t developing as couldn’t even get minutes in Reno. Although Colvey did get time, they decided he wasn’t progressing. Wehan was rookie of the year in USL. Ockford anchored a pretty stingy defense and scored a few and we have no CB depth at all. I think the young Brazilian is considered an up and comer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets loaned back to Reno.