SOCCER MONEY MATTERS
Dynamo rank last in 2018 MLS salaries with $5.2 million roster
May 11, 2018, 8:31 am
The Dynamo's "moneyball" approach saw them reach the Western Conference final in 2017. Courtesy of Wilf Thorne/Houston Dynamo
Major League Soccer player salaries were published Thursday - about one week after the close of the primary transfer window. Toronto FC came in with the highest payroll once again with three of their players making $5 million or more while the Houston Dynamo came in last among active teams for the second consecutive year.
Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco topped the list with a guaranteed compensation of $7,115,555.67 while 2014 FIFA World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger is the owner of the highest base salary of $6,100,000.08 as a member of the Chicago Fire. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who arrived from Manchester United in March, is revealed to be playing with the LA Galaxy for a $1,500,000.00 salary.
The Dynamo’s total payroll of $5.26 million was lower than the top five players in the league in both base salary and guaranteed compensation. The entire list can be found on the MLS Players Association website.
The highest paid player on the Dynamo roster is Honduran forward Alberth Elis, making $650,340.00 annually. Swedish defender Adam Lundkvist, who was signed about two weeks ago and participated in his first practice with the team on Thursday afternoon in Vancouver, ame in second in base salary with a $405,000.00 salary.
Nine players at the Dynamo make under $100,000.00 in base salary including Memo Rodriguez, who scored the 90th minute game winner against the LA Galaxy last Saturday. Rookies Michael Nelson and Mac Steeves are tied for the lowest salary at 54,500.04.
The low on-field investment - compared to other MLS teams - has been one of the leading concerns among Dynamo fans in recent years. Gabriel Brener became the majority stakeholder in the club after buying out AEG’s share in December 2015.
Following the Dynamo’s playoff elimination after a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Seattle Sounders FC in the MLS Western Conference final last November, Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera was asked about having a higher budget to which he responded, “Our budget is not going to change...We’re going to try and do the same thing with the budget and find the players we can afford."
Dynamo General Manager Matt Jordan was on Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis earlier this week and was asked about the rumors of signing 2010 FIFA World Cup winner Fernando Torres this upcoming summer. Jordan responded, “I think we’ve shown, we’re willing to make investments. We have an ownership group that shows that, especially this last offseason with some of the acquisitions that we’ve made and they were significant investments in players like [Alberth] Elis and [Juan David] Cabezas.
“Our ownership group is definitely willing, and obviously it has to be the right player, the right timing,” added Jordan on having the financial backing from the club's ownership group, which includes Brener's longtime business partner and former Boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya.
The Dynamo acquired Elis and Cabezas on permanent transfers in the offseason, although the purchase fees were not disclosed. The club also punted on the upwards of $7 million investment in forward Erick Torres - who commanded a 650,000.00 base salary in 2017 - by selling the player for a reported $2 million fee this past January.
The Dynamo are in action tonight at Vancouver Whitecaps FC (9:30 p.m. CT kickoff, KUBE 57).
MLS Salaries by team (rounded to the nearest dollar)
Team | Base salary | Guaranteed compensation |
1. Toronto FC | $23,480,305 | $26,167,499 |
2. Los Angeles Galaxy | $14,799,180 | $17,502,008 |
3. New York City FC | $13,249,558 | $14,147,633 |
4. Chicago Fire | $13,165,346 | $13,824,204 |
5. Los Angeles FC | $11,254,869 | $13,432,053 |
6. Portland Timbers | $11,209,418 | $12,516,335 |
7. Montreal Impact | $7,230,911 | $11,888,541 |
8. Seattle Sounders | $9,767,458 | $11,376,125 |
9. Atlanta United | $10,369,120 | $11,306,330 |
10. Colorado Rapids | $9,981,477 | $11,001,331 |
11. FC Dallas | $8,239,754 | $9,333,819 |
12. Sporting Kansas City | $8,825,490 | $9,176,166 |
13. Orlando City | $8,230,668 | $8,981,658 |
14. Real Salt Lake | $8,228,528 | $8,975,666 |
15. Philadelphia Union | $8,492,604 | $8,915,988 |
16. Vancouver Whitecaps | $7,531,016 | $8,233,012 |
17. Minnesota United | $7,561,894 | $8,152,683 |
18. San Jose Earthquakes | $7,116,235 | $7,787,253 |
19. New York Red Bulls | $7,079,490 | $7,689,314 |
20. Columbus Crew | $6,632,083 | $6,971,083 |
21. New England Revolution | $6,139,674 | $6,818,556 |
22. D.C. United | $6,325,797 | $6,744,420 |
23. Houston Dynamo | $5,267,338 | $5,673,472 |
Houston Dynamo 2018 Player Salaries
Note: The Dynamo waived Midfielder Charlie Ward, announced Wednesday afternoon.
First Name | Last Name | Position | Base Salary | Total Compensation | |
1. | Alberth | Elis | F | $650,340.00 | $650,340.00 |
2. | Adam | Lundkvist | D | $405,000.00 | $433,750.00 |
3. | Tomas | Martinez | M | $305,004.00 | $487,929.00 |
4. | DaMarcus | Beasley | D | $275,004.00 | $275,004.00 |
5. | Mauro | Manotas | F | $264,328.08 | $264,328.08 |
6. | Eric | Alexander | M | $260,004.00 | $260,004.00 |
7. | Juan | Cabezas | M | $255,156.00 | $279,156.00 |
8. | Romell | Quioto | F | $240,000.00 | $252,500.00 |
9. | Andrew | Wenger | M | $230,000.00 | $230,000.00 |
10. | Darwin | Ceren | M | $225,000.00 | $274,375.00 |
11. | Philippe | Senderos | D | $225,000.00 | $242,500.00 |
12. | Adolfo | Machado | D | $220,008.00 | $236,508.00 |
13. | AJ | DeLaGarza | D | $200,000.04 | $207,500.04 |
14. | Leonardo | Da Silva | D | $157,504.50 | $165,171.17 |
15. | Chris | Seitz | GK | $155,004.00 | $155,004.00 |
16. | Arturo | Alvarez | M | $150,000.00 | $157,500.00 |
17. | Oscar Boniek | Garcia | M | $150,000.00 | $165,000.00 |
18. | Joe | Willis | GK | $124,999.92 | $132,749.92 |
19. | Dylan | Remick | D | $105,000.00 | $106,666.67 |
20. | Jared | Watts | D-M | $92,500.00 | $92,500.00 |
21. | Alejandro | Fuenmayor | D | $85,008.00 | $112,508.00 |
22. | Kevin | Garcia | D | $68,915.07 | $68,915.07 |
23. | George | Malki | D | $68,254.20 | $68,254.20 |
24. | Eric | Bird | M | $67,500.00 | $67,500.00 |
25. | Luis | Gil | M | $67,500.00 | $67,500.00 |
26. | Memo | Rodriguez | M | $55,654.20 | $55,654.20 |
27.* | Charlie | Ward | M | $55,654.20 | $55,654.20 |
28. | Michael | Nelson | GK | $54,500.04 | $54,500.04 |
29. | Mac | Steeves | GK | $54,500.04 | $54,500.04 |
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