Should an MLS team offer Keller a deal? He seems to be begging for an oppurtunity. But MLS isn't interested. Yet. CNNSI says he's calling around the league looking for a team that'll take him. He's mostly interested in RSL. Link
Find the salary figures from last year. Determine the average keeper salary. then offer Kasey that much.
Well, that's the problem for Keller. This league simply isn't willing to pay good money for a keeper.
He wants to live near his home in the Northwest, but salary is an issue. Troy Perkins was the goalkeeper of the year last year and made under $100k (if not under $50k). There isn't a high market value for goalkeepers because there are so many good ones. Maybe Seattle could get the expansion team next year and sign Keller as their DP.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, that's the problem for Keller. This league simply isn't willing to pay good money for a keeper. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ why not.. He could get DP money..
Nobody will pay DP money for a keeper, though, as the difference in quality between a very good rookie and a DP is not nearly as significant than that same difference would be at the midfielder or striker positions. Thus, all the teams are saving their $ for middies or forwards.
If you were to throw DP-type money at someone from the US as a keeper, Tim Howard is the guy. He's more flambouyant, has more of an interesting story about his development, and is younger by a mile. Who in MLS wouldn't love to see Timmy back between the pipes?
Teams want to sign DPs who will give visible results...... goals and assists. Kasey Keller is old even to DP standards, so unless the rumored "American Only" dp spot comes into effect i dont think anyone will sign Keller as a DP.
i could see a team throwing 200k at him. joe cannon makes around 150, el gato makes around 130. he would be an upgrade over many mls keepers. buut 200k wont be enough for keller (at least that is how i understood kellers statements). He was looking at dp money (at least that is how i understood his comments). he must realize in mls, he isnt worth dp money. someone like buffon, dida, cech *might* be but not keller
Why? Why would any team make Kasey Keller a designated player? Unless MLS wants to have a "league" designated player (a USDP) for returning national team players, assign one to each team (Reyna could be the USDP in New York) and the league pays the salary outright. You know, kind of like the WUSA did when it started. And noone wants to use the WUSA as a model, do they? Which brings me back to my question-"Why?" I do not mean any of this to be disparaging towards Keller. I think he's terrific and would be a great addition to just about any team, but, in a league with a salary cap and only limited spots, it just would not make economic sense for any team to make him a DP. If he wants to come to MLS AND fit into the MLS salary structure for goalkeepers, then I would love to see him here, but not as a DP. A quote from the RSL GM in the article link above puts it all into perspective: "There's no team in MLS that wouldn't like to have Kasey Keller in some capacity," Pastorino says. "But it's got to make sense for the player and the team at that time. Right now, it doesn't make sense." A harsh reality, but a reality nonetheless.
May I remind you folks that although Keller is 38, which doesn't mean the man is going to die tomorrow, many good keepers are still playing at this age and beyond. That said, RSL and even DCU could use Keller, no offense to Perkins. DC United with Keller in the back would make me feel much, much, better about the back. Perkins has been outstanding at times, but also that howler against Chivas really ticked me off. Then the 4 goals KC scored were probably not his fault, but Keller is the kind of keeper that would probably stop 2 of those 4 that they scored. His experience is invaluable and putting him in front of a keeper that is still learning and relatively raw in some aspects only helps his development down the road. Competition at every position is needed and Keller should push others to do well.
But that would imply that Keller is an average goalie by MLS standards. If you want to go by the quality of the player, you'd have to have Keller's salary match the current top salary for an MLS keeper. Anything else would be unfair.
two words. pay cut. Keller wants to have his retirement his way he better get ready for the slightly less retirement pay.