New MLS salary data reveals Sounders have 5 players on DP wages

The MLS Players Union made their final salary drop of the season, mostly filling in the holes left by players signed after July 17. The only significant changes for the Seattle Sounders were the additions of Nelson Haedo Valdez, Roman Torres and Andreas Ivanschitz. As suspected, the Sounders effectively have five players now making Designated Player wages.

In addition to Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins and Osvaldo Alonso -- who were already on DP wages -- both Valdez ($1.215 million) and Torres ($512,000) make more than the maximum salary cap figure ($436,250). Although Valdez only counts $218,125 against the salary cap as a midseason DP signing, the Sounders were forced to use Targeted Allocation Money in order to buy down Osvaldo Alonso's figure and open the DP spot. The Sounders also used TAM in order to buy down Torres' cap hit. (Here's how TAM works.)

Compared to the other midseason signings, Ivanschitz is a relative bargain at about $200,000 a year (players' union salary figures are calculated over a full year, not prorated).

The Sounders' team budget went up to about $13.3 million.