Salary List Released; Shalrie Guaranteed $554K
- Updated: May 26, 2012

Revolution captain Shalrie Joseph was happy to sign a designated player deal with the club in December. (Photo: revolutionsoccer.net)
When the Revolution signed Shalrie Joseph to a designated player deal in December, the first question that came to mind was the most obvious one: For how much?
On Friday, the MLS Players Union answered that question when it released its first list of players salaries for 2012.
According to the list, the total guaranteed compensation for the Revolution skipper this season will total $554,333 after he earned $500,000 in 2011 (10% increase). However, as a designated player, the cap hit for Joseph’s salary is $350,000.
After Joseph, the highest earners on the squad include Benny Feilhaber ($446,000), John Lozano ($241,485), right back Kevin Alston ($169,000), Matt Reis ($159,666) and Kelyn Rowe ($156,000). Because Rowe is a member of generation adidas, the Revolution do not incur a cap hit for his six-figure salary.
Other notable salary figures include those of high-profile offseason signing Jose Moreno ($149,000), current Revolution goalscoring leader Saer Sene ($148,843) and second-year starting center back A.J. Soares ($116,450).
Perhaps the biggest surprise on the list for New England is Lee Nguyen’s cap-friendly $55,500 salary. Another high-performing, lower-budget player on the list is Clyde Simms, who’ll earn $78,333 after making a $179,2500 salary with D.C. United in 2011.
The salary list released by the Players Union can be found here.
Chris B
May 26, 2012 at 11:01 am
A couple of questions, Brian:
How is Benny not a DP? Is he grandfathered in or something? Also, if we resign him whenever that time comes, would we have to do what we did with Shalrie and make him a DP and somehow save cap money?
John Lozano, Jose Moreno and Fernando Cardenas are all making more than they probably should which reinforces my thoughts that we’re unlikely to see the Colombians next season (maybe Cardenas and possibly Moreno).
Blake, Lee and Saer all deserve raises in my opinion.
Brian O'Connell
May 26, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Hey Chris,
The way I understand the DP rule is that the club has the choice of using the label for a player making over $350K, so long as it has the allocation money to supplement the funds beyond that threshold. With Benny, the Revs apparently declined to tag him when they acquired him last spring, knowing they had the allocation money to do so. Why they chose not to is open debate. My guess is that they were saving it for the summer transfer window, which they eventually ended up doing when they signed Milton Caraglio. Again, just a guess on my part.
If the Revs do make a push to re-sign Benny when his contract is up, I doubt they’ll offer him a DP slot. Although it’d be a more economical way of managing the cap, the bottom line is that ownership has to be willing to invest its own money to cover the additional funds beyond $350K. They did that for Shalrie because ownership really believes in him. As for Caraglio, I think ownership did that to back up their words that they’d sign a DP. Of course, just my two cents.
As for the Colombians – I’d ranking them this way in terms of most likely to come back for 2013: Cardenas, Lozano, and Moreno. I’d be shocked if Moreno comes back next year.
rick sewall
May 26, 2012 at 9:25 pm
How can Rowe, a borderline player, make so much? I saw the first half of the DC game. Can’t the Revs focus on heading in their penalty area? Two inexcusable and very unprofessional gifts to DC United. Who knows? they might win anyway.
rick sewall
May 26, 2012 at 9:34 pm
Benny is regarded by many teams, I bet, as a soft player, or one who is fairly easily distracted from a mental standpoint. In other words, he loses his temper too often. If I were the Rev honchos, I’d take this this fact into account before giving him the big bucks. Other teams are aware of his weakness and game plan for it. Of that I am pretty sure.
rick sewall
May 26, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Amazing to see Simms and Nguyen, both good platers, being paid so pathetically. I guess life is unfair.
Jim
May 28, 2012 at 7:56 am
It scares me to see how little those two make becuase of the Rev’s track record of making players play to the end of their crappy deals & then lowballing them/ not offering them new contracts.
At the same time, Alston is getting into dangerous territory with his numbers. It seems that when mediocre players get too high in salary they get axed and have to start all over with a different club. He’d better get his act together. Not sure what you guys think of him, I’d love to know, but to me, his offense has improved – though it isn’t saying much. & he is a liability when he makes runs. He’s looked a little better this year, but maybe it’s because of the inability of the rest of our defense.