MLS Players Association 2018 salary info: Revolution listed 21st overall

With the transfer window closed and rosters finalized for the next two-to-three months, Major League Soccer's Players Association released its annual list of salary information for the 2018 season Wednesday. And with all the figures tallied up and the beans counted, the Revolution have found themselves bumped up one slot to 21st overall in the league.

While The Boys In Blue have a total base salary of $6,139,673.54 for this year, its place in the rankings is determined via its annual average compensation over the length of a player's contract, which includes a player’s base salary and all signing and guaranteed bonuses, including option years.

The Revs have a total average of $6,818,556.10.

Topping the list? Toronto FC, which has an annual average compensation of $26.1 million. The full list:



Interesting to note: Had the Revs not transferred midfielder Lee Nguyen at the deadline, New England's annual average compensation would have pushed it above $7.3 million.

[table id=58 /]

Philly.com's Jonathan Tannenwald compiled all of the data from the MLSPU website and came up with the following listings for '18:

[table id=59 /]

Tannenwald had plenty of information in that above link, complete with graphs.

BSJ analysis: It's interesting, at least to me, to see what the Revolution players are making this year, and what the club is spending compared to everyone else. One of the theories (see also: complaints) bandied about on the hashtag is the Revs are rather tight with the finances when it comes to payroll, much like the Patriots (except, you know, the Patriots draw full houses to Gillette), and we can see that yup, New England is right about where people expect them to be: right near the bottom in spending. Had the Revs held onto Nguyen until the secondary window, the club would have moved up to 20th.

And I understand where those theories are coming from: All fans want to subliminally spend someone else's money. You've got to spend money to win titles is something we hear a lot. You look at Toronto FC spending $26.1 million and seeing how it won the treble last year and came a couple of penalties away from claiming the North American club championship. You look at the Yankees, you look at the Red Sox ... they spend the money, and they win. That is true. In soccer over in Europe, you look at Manchester City, you look at Chelsea, you look at Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal (OK, not so much Arsenal), Manchester United ... those clubs spend money, and they win.

But I also look to the other tenants at the Razor and see how tight they are with the pocketbook and, well, they win ... right?

When one looks at the top 10 spenders in MLS above and compare it to the current standings -- yes, current standings; not final, since we're not there yet -- in the East and West, only three clubs (Atlanta United, NYCFC, and LAFC) are listed as some of the top spenders in this country.

Toronto? We know why it's not currently in the playoff places; the Reds have played weakened 11's while concentrating on the continental competition, but that's done with. We're expecting TFC to make a move. The Galaxy ... or shall we say the Los Angeles Zlatans? Eighth in the West. Chicago? Seventh in the East. Portland? Seventh in the West. Montreal? Eighth. Seattle? 11th in the West. Colorado? 10th.

Right now, the Revolution are 21st overall in spending, are sixth in the East, have been as high as third, and there are reportedly -- allegedly? -- reinforcements coming to Foxborough in two-to-three months. There are some who want the Revs to make a big splash in the transfer window with a big name signing, but I doubt a big name (a Zlatan, a Wayne Rooney) will happen. Several of the other current clubs in the playoff positions are right around New England when it comes to their payrolls (Houston, Columbus, Red Bulls), and unless there is some unforeseen investment coming for those clubs, they won't make a splash, either.

Some of the top 10 in spending, though -- unless they catch some teams unawares -- won't come close to sniffing the playoffs. Sporting Kansas City, currently first in the West, won the US Open Cup last year and it has the 12th-overall salary listing -- at the borderline to the top half.

I'm not saying relax when it comes to figuring out which players will come to Route 1 and how much the club will spend to get them, seeing as we won't know until next spring ... but I'm not saying break out the tar, feathers, fire, and pitchforks just yet, either. Let's wait until Aug. 9 before we start calling certain people out for not spending enough money, OK?

Also interesting to me: Nemeth -- he of the one goal in his last 12 appearances Nemeths -- is one of 46 millionaires in Major League Soccer; need a few more goals to say he's earned that money, right? Meanwhile, Turner is, compared to the salary information for Knighton and Cropper, one of the biggest bargains in the league at just above the league minimum.

And then there's the back line as it's currently comprised: Somi ($425K), Dielna ($910K), Anibaba ($90K), and Farrell ($268K). Approximately $1.7 million devoted to the last line of defense over the course of the last three weeks.

At times they earn their money (I look at the first 15 minutes in Houston and I nod my head) ... but then there are times like last Saturday where you have to wonder if this is a robbery in progress.

You also look at the salary of Fagundez and wonder if he will stay there should his goal production increase (you have to think he won't, right?), especially when you see how much Agudelo is making compared to the former Leominster Blue Devil and especially with what he's done, scoring-wise, for New England compared to Agudelo.