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Twice a year, the MLS Players’ Union releases a list of player salaries throughout the league, and guess what, that day was today!
For a third consecutive season, Orlando City midfielder Kaká ($7.168 million) comes out on top as the highest paid player in guaranteed compensation in Major League Soccer, just narrowly edging out Toronto FC’s Sabastian Giovinco ($7.116 million).
Here’s the full list of salaries:
OCSC 2017 Salaries
| Player | Pos | 2017 Base Salary | Guaranteed Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos | 2017 Base Salary | Guaranteed Compensation |
| Aja | D | $216,000.00 | $216,000.00 |
| Alston | D | $135,000.00 | $135,000.00 |
| Barnes | F-M | $725,000.00 | $781,250.00 |
| Barry | F | $68,750.00 | $73,312.50 |
| Bendik | GK | $165,000.00 | $174,083.40 |
| Carrasco | M | $114,996.00 | $114,996.00 |
| Da Silva | M | $53,004.00 | $53,004.00 |
| Donovan | D | $100,000.00 | $128,000.00 |
| Edwards | GK | $65,000.00 | $65,000.00 |
| Garcia | M-D | $53,004.00 | $53,004.00 |
| Gil | M | $144,000.00 | $144,000.00 |
| Giro | D-M | $80,004.00 | $85,316.50 |
| Higuita | M | $150,000.00 | $150,000.00 |
| Hines | D | $129,996.00 | $129,996.00 |
| Johnson | M | $414,000.00 | $450,000.00 |
| Kaka | M | $6,660,000.00 | $7,167,500.00 |
| Larin | F | $150,000.00 | $192,000.00 |
| Laryea | M | $130,000.00 | $159,000.00 |
| Nocerino | M | $800,000.00 | $850,000.00 |
| Perez Garcia | F | $260,004.00 | $260,004.00 |
| Ramos | D | $100,800.00 | $100,800.00 |
| Redding | D | $110,000.00 | $117,500.00 |
| Rivas | M | $375,000.00 | $375,000.00 |
| Rocha | M | $65,620.80 | $65,620.80 |
| Sane | F | $53,004.00 | $53,004.00 |
| Saunders | GK | $150,000.00 | $150,000.00 |
| Spector | D | $549,996.00 | $611,933.50 |
| Stajduhar | GK | $53,000.00 | $53,000.00 |
| Sutter | D | $240,000.00 | $240,000.00 |
| Toia | D | $70,875.00 | $70,875.00 |
MLS teams sorted by salary pic.twitter.com/xbJkYJLtir
— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) April 25, 2017
Biggest Takeaways:
- Donny Toia might end up being one of the biggest steals in the league this season, having signed with Orlando at just a tad over $70,000. Toia has been outstanding through his first six games — all of which he has started — while making significantly less than the rest of his teammates regularly featuring in the Starting XI. Cristian Higuita at $150,000 is also a great bargain, as is Cyle Larin and the $192,000 salary his original Generations Adidas contract is paying him (although he has graduated from GA). Somebody’s going to be paying him a lot of money next season, let’s just hope it’s Orlando City.
- Kaká, as I mentioned above, remains the highest paid player in the league during the final year of his contract. This has obviously been a big talking point with the Brazilian star over the last three seasons, and there’s no doubt what he’s meant for Orlando City both on and off the field. This season, he’s played all of 11 minutes due to a hamstring injury and could make his return to the team sheet this weekend against Colorado. The Lions have been very successful without Kaká already this season — five wins in six games — and will surely be happy to have him back.
- Some notable raises: Antonio Nocerino saw his pay rise roughly $200,000 to $850,000 guaranteed this season. Joe Bendik, who is also looking like a great bargain now, went up to $174,083.40 after signing a new three year deal this winter. Servando Carrasco broke six figures and jumped up to $114,996. Matias Perez Garcia, who made $250,000 last season, went up to $260,004. Meanwhile, Seb Hines took a slight pay cut to stay with Orlando, going down to $129,996 after making $151,250 last season.
- As for the new guys: Will Johnson comes in at $450,000; Scott Sutter at $240,000; Luis Gil at $144,000; and Giles Barnes, who was re-tagged as a DP with Orlando this year, is at $781,250.