It’s always a scramble when the Major League Soccer Players Association releases the MLS Player Salaries. We know the MLSPA will make the figures public twice a year – preliminary numbers are released in May, final numbers in October – but it’s something of a fire drill when they come out, when we rush to get the MLS Player Salaries posted and available to our readers.
Now that we had some time to digest the numbers, we offer you this follow-up post. Here you’ll find analysis, and new ways to slice and dice the figures to better understand what’s going on in MLS in general, and at New York City FC in particular.
The fact is, MLS is a low-payroll league with a savagely complicated salary cap. That puts a premium on value, and finding players who perform better than others in their tax bracket — which is why Gabriel Segal was one of the best values in MLS this year.
Read on to learn more.
1. Jordi Alba’s salary raises questions
Unsurprisingly, most of the headlines in soccerland are about Lionel Messi’s record-breaking contract — his $20,446,667 in guaranteed compensation makes him the highest-paid player in league history. It accounts for more than fifty percent of Inter Miami’s total payroll, also the highest ever in MLS.
But little is said of Jordi Alba’s $1,250,000 in guaranteed compensation. Alba reportedly made $40,000,000 last season at Barcelona, and while Miami is a great place to live, that seems like a suspiciously steep pay cut to take just kick around a ball with your besties in a semi-tropical climate.
2. NYCFC have a mid-table payroll
That’s right, NYCFC are cheapskates.
According to The Athletic, NYCFC have a total payroll just shy of $15 million, which puts them at #16.
Actually, it’s closer to $14.5 million, after you deduct the salaries of Nicolás Acevedo ($274,800, on loan at Clube Esporte Bahia) and Thiago ($219,000, on loan at Clube Athletico Paranaense). That theoretically drops them to #19, or about the same as the Colorado Rapids, depending on which players other teams have out on loan.
If one thing is clear, it’s that money doesn’t buy you happiness. The three clubs with the largest payrolls will miss the MLS Cup Playoffs this year.
Inter Miami is in a class of their own because of the Messi contract – it might sound strange to say, but they’re a work-in-progress – but Toronto FC are easily the most disappointing team in the league this year, followed closely by LA Galaxy.
3. Thiago Martins is the highest-paid defender in MLS
Thiago Martins ($2,112,000) isn’t just the biggest earner at NYCFC for the second year in a row, he’s the highest-paid defender in MLS for the second year in a row.
Nashville SC’s Walker Zimmerman has a higher base salary, but his guaranteed compensation is $2,056,979.
4. Matías Pellegrini makes $1,120,833
Matías Pellegrini hasn’t had the best season on the field: He didn’t establish himself as a regular starter, and aside from scoring one spectacular goal back in July, he hasn’t contributed much to the NYCFC attack. He has a cumulative Hudson River Blue Player Rating of 4.7, which is significantly lower than anybody on the squad with at least one start — he is one of just two players on the team with a rating lower than 5.0.
But Pellegrini has had a terrific year financially, pulling in over $1.1 million. He has the fourth-highest salary at NYCFC, trailing only the three Designated Players.
NYCFC 2023 Player Salaries
Name | Guaranteed Salary | Starts | Apps | HRB Rating |
1. Thiago Martins | $2,112,000 | 23 | 25 | 6.1 |
2. Santiago Rodríguez | $1,331,333 | 27 | 30 | 6.2 |
3. Talles Magno | $1,198,000 | 19 | 29 | 5.2 |
4. Matías Pellegrini | $1,120,833 | 14 | 24 | 4.7 |
5. James Sands | $1,058,333 | 23 | 25 | 6.3 |
6. Brian Cufré | $757,800 | 22 | 25 | 5.9 |
7. Birk Risa * | $689,750 | 9 | 9 | 6.3 |
8. Alfredo Morales | $662,250 | 11 | 22 | 5.5 |
9. Julián Fernández * | $604,300 | 1 | 8 | 5.7 |
10. Andrés Perea * | $591,500 | 8 | 9 | 6.6 |
11. Keaton Parks | $550,000 | 29 | 31 | 6.0 |
12. Maxi Moralez * | $500,000 | 4 | 4 | 6.9 |
13. Mounsef Bakrar * | $432,720 | 9 | 9 | 5.8 |
14. Richie Ledezma | $396,000 | 14 | 23 | 5.5 |
15. Tayvon Gray | $350,000 | 23 | 27 | 5.3 |
16. Mitja Ilenič | $295,000 | 13 | 21 | 6.0 |
17. Alonso Martínez * | $278,479 | 0 | 3 | 4.4 |
18. Matt Freese | $180,000 | 9 | 9 | 7.2 |
19. Justin Haak | $165,000 | 10 | 14 | 6.0 |
20. Luis Barraza | $152,688 | 24 | 24 | 5.7 |
21. Andres Jasson | $142,144 | 9 | 20 | 5.4 |
22. Cody Mizell | $85,444 | 0 | 0 | — |
23. Kevin O'Toole | $85,444 | 11 | 20 | 5.2 |
24. Stephen Turnbull | $85,444 | 5 | 11 | 5.3 |
25. Nico Benalcázar | $68,775 | 0 | 1 | 5.7 |
26. Gabe Segal | $67,360 | 4 | 10 | 6.1 |
* Summer transfer window signing
5. NYCFC’s new signings are good business
New York City added six players, making it the busiest summer transfer window in club history. Now that we know how much those signings were paid, it’s clear to see that sporting director David Lee did some good business.
All six are under the league’s individual salary cap of $651,250, so there’s no need to use General Allocation Money to bring down their pay. That gives Lee a good deal of flexibility when reshaping the roster this coming offseason.
Interestingly, Mounsef Bakrar’s guaranteed compensation of $432,720 might be close to that of a secondary striker. Will Lee add another striker this winter?
6. Gabriel Segal was one of the biggest bargains in MLS
Gabriel Segal is making the league minimum of $67,360, which means he’s the lowest-paid player on NYCFC’s First Team.
He’s also one of the biggest bargains in MLS. He is one of only 13 players earning the league minimum who made at least 10 appearances this season, and his two goals put him in the company of New England Revolution’s Noel Buck — who is easily the best bargain in the league.
MLS Players Earning the League-Minimum of $67,360
Name | Team | Pos | Mins | Starts | Apps | G | A |
Noel Buck | New England | M | 1663 | 19 | 24 | 3 | 1 |
Emeka Eneli | Real Salt Lake | M | 1228 | 12 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
Noah Allen | Inter Miami | D | 1186 | 13 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
Philip Quinton | Columbus Crew | D | 937 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
Andrew Privett | Charlotte FC | M | 953 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Akil Watts | St. Louis City | M | 835 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
Cody Baker | Seattle Sounders | D | 682 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Preston Judd | LA Galaxy | F | 640 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 2 |
Miguel Perez | St. Louis City | M | 607 | 7 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
Gabriel Segal | NYCFC | F | 417 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
Ajani Fortune | Atlanta United | M | 352 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
Malik Pinto | FC Cincinnati | M | 380 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
Patrick Agyemang | Charlotte FC | F | 182 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
Segal was often scapegoated this season by an NYCFC faithful who wanted more from the attack. That was unfair. The young striker performed well beyond his pay grade: Not only did he score twice, both goals salvaged draws and earned NYCFC two key points.
Let’s relive one together:
7. Héber is making $1,019,000
Former NYCFCF striker Héber is making $1,019,000 this year with the Seattle Sounders. Good on him. The 32-year-old has two goals and one assist in 1061 minutes.
Last year, Héber made $914,000 in guaranteed compensation with NYCFC. He scored eight goals in 1001 minutes then.
