Payroll Details MLS July 08 (updated)

Back in my very first post on this site I gave a snapshot of what the guaranteed salary averages are around the league.

I thought I would give a little more depth to that especially concerning recent posts at WeAreECS concerning the supposedly "dire" impact of a team having two DPs. With MLS' semi-hard cap that can be avoided through multiple channels the impact isn't that severe.

These channels are allocations, Generation Adidas, Developmental Player contracts and lastly cap exempt players (Donovan and Ruiz are all that are left). All of these channels have some form of payment that does not count towards the salary cap (roughly 2.3M$ for 08).

Here is the overall averages again

Average Spend on Forwards $151,476.19
Average Spend on Midfielders $181,608.07
Average Spend on Defenders $82,571.64
Average Spend on Keepers $70,732.29
Average Spend on Total Team $120,668.09
Average Spend on Team w/o Reserves $175,581.10


Here is the roster allocation breakdown

Average Forwards per Team 6.4
Average Midfielders per Team 9.8
Average Defenders per Team 8.5
Average Keepers per Team 3.1


The Supporter's Shield Winners for '08 - Columbus Crew
Roster Structure # Total Dollars Average
Forwards 8.5 $743,275.00 $87,444.12
Midfielders 9.5 $754,247.81 $79,394.51
Defenders 9 $751,600.00 $83,511.11
Keepers 3 $120,700.00 $40,233.33
Grand Total 30 $2,340,322.77 $78,010.76
Total w/o Dev 18 $2,161,522.77 $120,084.60

The best team in non-league competitions for '08 - Houston Dynamo
Roster Structure # Total Dollars Average
Forwards 5 $420,300.00 $84,060.00
Midfielders 14 $1,205,727.46 $86,123.39
Defenders 6 $503,996.00 $83,999.33
Keepers 3 $238,496.00 $79,498.67
Grand Total 28 $2,368,519.46 $84,589.98
Total w/o Dev 18 $2,209,819.46 $122,767.75

The best team that plays in an NFL stadium in 08 - New England Revolution
Roster Structure # Total Dollars Average
Forwards 6 $602,013.00 $100,335.50
Midfielders 9.5 $614,750.00 $64,710.53
Defenders 9.5 $927,782.50 $97,661.32
Keepers 3 $231,450.00 $77,150.00
Grand Total 28 $2,165,295.50 $77,331.98
Total w/o Dev 18 $2,014,695.50 $111,927.53

The league's money maker - Los Angeles Galaxy
Roster Structure # Total Dollars Average
Forwards 7 $1,724,237.33 $246,319.62
Midfielders 7 $7,109,500.35 $1,015,642.91
Defenders 10 $599,125.00 $59,912.50
Keepers 4 $138,800.00 $34,700.00
Grand Total 28 $9,397,537.68 $335,626.35
Total w/o Dev 18 $9,267,037.68 $514,835.43

The league's benchmark for expansion franchises - Toronto FC
Roster Structure # Total Dollars Average
Forwards 4 $476,825.00 $119,206.25
Midfielders 9.5 $1,351,454.00 $142,258.32
Defenders 8.5 $879,747.50 $103,499.71
Keepers 2 $202,312.50 $101,156.25
Grand Total 24 $2,897,439.00 $120,726.63
Total w/o Dev 18 $2,810,439.00 $156,135.50

I will update tomorrow morning with the team that makes the Finals from the "West." A reminder this is from the July release, and not the playoff roster so it does not include players like Huckerby that were added in the summer transfer window, nor does it include players like Ruiz that moved late in the season.

The final MLS PA release I will use once the season is over and add some stats (goals for/against, shots for/against, assists for/against, games and minutes). From there things will get interesting to judge team's success in league games, and to analyze the Expansion Draft.

Updated with RedBull New York
Roster Structure # Total Dollars Average
Forwards 8 $2,008,326.44 $251,040.81
Midfielders 8.5 $1,750,843.33 $205,981.57
Defenders 8.5 $500,284.06 $58,856.95
Keepers 4 $193,300.00 $48,325.00
Grand Total 29 $4,335,693.83 $149,506.68
Total w/o Dev 19 $4,197,093.83 $220,899.68