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The MLS Players’ Union released the fall salary figures for the 2018 season on Tuesday, as part of their strategy to show how much players make. In the past, it was done as a strategy to show just how little most players made, and while there are more haves and the minimum salary is above the poverty line these days, it’s still a way of gauging how teams spend.
As always, it’s worth noting these figures are not official per the teams or the league (neither of them exactly endorse this twice-annual drop) and this is not how to calculate a team’s salary cap figure, or does it include details about TAM, GAM or transfer fees. It’s a guideline, and one of the few publicly available, but it’s not the be-all and end-all when it comes to money in MLS.
The notable additions are midseason newcomers Christian Ramirez, Andre Horta, Josh Perez and Danilo Silva. On the latter, he’s on a loan, but good price for him!
LAFC fall 2018 salaries
| Player | Guaranteed Compensation |
|---|---|
| Player | Guaranteed Compensation |
| Eduard Atuesta | $468,000 |
| Latif Blessing | $84,375 |
| Tristan Blackmon | $70,233.92 |
| Steven Beitashour | $298,375.04 |
| Shaft Brewer | $56,166.71 |
| Nicolas Czornomaz | $71,250 |
| Adama Diomande | $934,999.96 |
| Benny Feilhaber | $625,000 |
| Jordan Harvey | $150,000 |
| Andre Horta | $1,198,000.04 |
| Dejan Jakovic | $150,000 |
| Aaron Kovar | $69,657.50 |
| Mark-Anthony Kaye | $74,999.96 |
| Luis Lopez | $147,500.08 |
| Calum Mallace | $80,000.04 |
| Charlie Lyon | $67,500 |
| Joao Moutinho | $169,999.96 |
| Tyler Miller | $68,915.07 |
| Lee Nguyen | $500,000 |
| James Murphy | $87,500 |
| Josh Perez | $54,499.92 |
| Quillan Roberts | $67,500 |
| Christian Ramirez | $641,250.04 |
| Steeve Saint-Duc | $54,500.04 |
| Diego Rossi | $1,052,000.08 |
| Danilo Silva | $69,999.96 |
| Carlos Vela | $6,292,500 |
| Marco Ureña | $294,412.67 |
| Walker Zimmerman | $235,000 |
| Total | $14,134,136 |
None of the LAFC players on both the salary release earlier this year and this latest one have different figures, meaning no one has signed a new deal during the season.
Coming off the last release were Laurent Ciman ($661,666.67), Omar Gaber ($500,000.04) and Rodrigo Pacheco ($99,999.96), removing $1,261,666.67 from the total. The midseason additions, meanwhile, add $1,963,749.96. That means the overall total of salary money has increased by $702,083.29, although that includes one additional player in the incoming group.
LAFC’s salaries rank fifth in MLS. Toronto FC’s total is more than twice that of LAFC’s, believe it or not, followed by the LA Galaxy, the Chicago Fire (who didn’t even sniff the playoffs this year!), and New York City FC. Far and away the smallest payroll among teams playing in MLS this year is the Houston Dynamo, at just under $5.9 million. In all, 10 teams are now over $10 million in guaranteed compensation for their respective teams.
Which LAFC player is the best value? Who’s due for a raise? Take a look and let us know in the comments below!