2005 Colorado Rapids Salaries

Grant Wahl has the complete list of teams here.

Interesting and not at all surprising where the Rapids fall.

Perhaps Graht Wahl's comment about the Rapids in the MLS Power Rankings is the most revealing.

I think we've all asked that question. Let's hope the savings they are using now are being guarded for future acquisitions and quality personel that will yield a first class organization. I think there's about a 17% chance of that actually happening.

 

We've cut Sepuya, and did so before the deadline, so I assume that this doesn't count on our cap any longer. Its funny, but as weak as I thought our team was, they somehow seem even weaker with their salaries next to their names - when you consider that there are plenty of vets.

Different between the Rapids and NE, is that they have a lot of young up-and-comers, and we have Leo Cullen, Eric Denton and Wolde Harris, and all are potential starters on this team.

For what its worth, for what he brings to the team and his leadership, Joe Cannon may be one of the most underpaid players in the league.

 

since it is pretty obvious we could pay up to 2.8 mill in salaries, I would suggest that our cheapest starter make at least $100,000 a season. Does this mean we give everyone a pay raise (heck NO). This means we go out shopping for better players to compliment the few that are worth keeping.


(We still would have room under the ficticious cap).

 

This proves the Rapids are definitely looking forward and not just trying to get a quick fix to make the playoffs and get eliminated in the first round. I like it. Let's make a strong team that compete for a long time (especially in 2007 when the stadium opens).

 

Here's an interesting note. PrimaDonnavan makes about as much as our expected healthy starting 10 field players combined.

(I assumed Freeman, Petke, Borchers, Kotschau, Pablo, Luchi, Beckerman *sigh*, Cooke, Cunningham, and Peguero)

 

look how much we are spending on foreign players ... this team could have been overhauled and it was not.

We COULD have rebuilt.

Yes, we're getting a stadium ... but we're going to suck for the rest of this season ... and all of next season FOR SURE.

I personally find this to be ****************. KSE has NO intention of making this team compete. Makes me wonder why I CARE? They don't ... why should i?

 

I ask this question:

Were Henderson and Chung traded for reason given ... or a cost savings measure?

 

without a doubt, Cannon is the most underpaid player. I'd give Borchers a second place.

 

did the trembley basher get a look at who is underpaid in the sports illustrated rating of team salaries!! bet you guys can't stand that!
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on another note..... mls seems to think that mostly only foreigner deserve good money ..... They seemed to think that fans will only come out to watch foreigners so they treat most of usa players like crap.... it is disgusting!I can't believe that the union has not gotten a salary base according to how much a player plays.

 

While I supported and still support these trades, this also crossed my mind. Rather than a trade for the future, I think its almost obviously a cost savings measure, since everything else this team has done has been a cost-savings measure.

Why do you say that this "proves the Rapids are definitely looking forward"? What has the KSE and Rapids organization done otherwise that makes you think that they are building a team?

First, MLS teams are built and rebuilt all the time. THe Fire came into the league from nothing and built a champion their first year. KC went from worst to first with the acquisition of Miklos Molnar (and some other talent), together with competent coaching (something we lack, and they continue to have).

Second, if the Rapids were building a team looking forward and developing a team for the next few years, there is no way this team would be squandering precious development time on players like Leo Cullen, Eric Denton and Wolde Harris eating up valuable space on the roster. Not a chance. There is no way that Hunter Freeman and Guy Melamed would ride the pine so that Eric Denton and Leo Cullen can continue to wallow in the crapulance that defines their play. There is no way that Gotsomanov (or whatever his name is) would sit on the bench and not sniff the field as a sub so that Wolde Harris can get one last chance to practice being a statue in the middle of the field. "Oh, did you see Wolde? Yeah, he's by the box...but he's not moving at all...was he covered with cement? Should we call a doctor?"

I can think of very few moves that appear to have been done with the goal of improving the team for the future. Cunningham may or may not have been, depending on how long term this alleged plan is. Cannon, but Cannon was acquired before FC.

All I see is a team full of mediocre and weak players, many of whom are far from overpaid (well, except in a "its tough to live in Denver on THAT salary" kind of way), a coach who doesn't typically play to win, and an "ambassador" who is friends with the coach, so he says absurd things on his TV broadcasts like "it'll take 3 years to really get some results" blah blah blah.

I found the comment re: Trembly laughable - but of course, at least RSL is trying to play to win.

 

Also, what foreigners on the Rapids are being paid so much better than US players? Cunningham? Oh, no wait...he's currently the leading scorer in MLS, he should be paid well. They have to lure the potential talent here somehow. For every Amado Guevara there are going to be some Terry Cookes
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i think rapids learned their lesson this year. If you have been following them for the past couple of years..you know that they gave away plenty of money to foreign players who did not deserve it.. there are more terry cookes than guevara 's in the whole league..i think it is fine to pay foreign players BUT after they have EARNED more pay say after a year... I want the league to respect USA born players more.. Go look at all the other team's salaries ... MOST of the USA players WHO are playing alot are way underpaid They continue to show that they deserve more money but for some reasons it is not being seen by mls front office nor by their own union reps.....

 

Since when is Cunningham a foreigner??? He is a US citizen and eligible for the US national team.

 

Ok, here is my suggestion:


Lets to the following:

A little house-cleaning to free up some roster spots since it's obvious were way below the MLS max!!

I kept the cheapos because , if they are that cheap why not?

Pablo Mastroeni $243,000.00
Jeffrey Cunningham $225,651.00
Joe Cannon $131,250.00
Mike Petke $100,000.00
Terry Cooke $67,500.00
Nat Borchers $53,250.00
Elain Nkong $48,000.00
Hunter Freeman $40,000.00
Luchi Gonzalez$37,500.00
Byron Foss $33,000.00
Matt Crawford $28,000.00
Guy Melamed $28,000.00
Daniel Gargan $16,500.00
Amir Lowery$16,500.00
Michael Cardenas $11,700.00
Bouna Coundoul $11,700.00
Josh Elbaum $11,700.00
Sasha Gotsmanov $11,700.00
Marcus Sagastume $11,700.00
Eugene Sepuya $11,700.00

Player 1$500,000.00
Player 2$200,000.00
Player 3$100,000.00
Player 4$100,000.00
Player 5$100,000.00
Player 6$200,000.00
Player 7$200,000.00
Player 8$200,000.00


Total$2,738,351.00

We could have a hellovateam after this shopping spree!!!

 

I think Fabrice took the money on the cap that we lost when we let Sepuya go.