MLS All-Budget Team 2023: A starting XI of the leagues most high-value contracts

After a one-year hiatus, the MLS All-Budget XI is back.

Each year when the MLS Players’ Association salary dump comes out, we run through the data and take a look at players who are far outperforming their salary numbers.

In past years, the cut-off for this exercise has been $200,000 – anyone listed as making more than that in “guaranteed compensation” wasn’t eligible. With salaries going up over the past two years, however, we bumped that limit to $260,000. In all, 413 players out of 869 qualified — or 47.5 percent. We also left off some players whose salary numbers hit below this threshold, but who came on a large transfer fee that actually increases their cost and cap figure. Portland’s Juan David Mosquera ($1.9 million fee) and Orlando City’s Cesar Araujo ($2 million fee) are good examples. There are also some players, like Columbus’s Aidan Morris, who have recently signed new deals that are not reflected in this salary release.

There are other types of “budget” players, for sure. You could make a good argument that Jeremy Ebobisse, who scored 17 goals last year, is great value on a contract paying out less than $1 million. However, in MLS a DP only hits the cap at $651,250, so while Ebobisse is certainly saving ownership money, he’s not different on the cap from the strikers making several million dollars every year. For that reason, we’ve tried to focus in on players on very low salary numbers who provide value without eating up any budget space, which essentially frees up space elsewhere on the cap to spend on players.

GO DEEPER

Which MLS are underperforming their contracts? We pick a starting XI

Several players to feature in this list in past years have later gone on to hit a payday. That list includes LAFC center back Aaron Long, NYCFC midfielder James Sands, San Jose winger Cade Cowell, Chicago Fire forward Chris Mueller and Seattle Sounders defender Nouhou Tolo. Alumni to make a move abroad include Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, Manchester City’s Zack Steffen, RB Leipzig’s Caden Clark, Venezia’s Gianluca Busio, Arminia Bielefeld’s George Bello and West Brom’s Daryl Dike.

We’ve seen more homegrowns jump onto the list this year, including a few who could be lining up transfers in the near future. Here’s a look at this year’s Budget XI.

Goalkeeper: Chris Brady, Chicago Fire — $213,246

The Fire sold one homegrown goalkeeper, Gaga Slonina, to Chelsea for $10 million and replaced him with another homegrown goalkeeper. Brady has made a couple mistakes early this season, as is likely to happen for a 19-year-old starter, but he has been effective in net overall and is currently second in MLS in goals added, according to American Soccer Analysis. He’s been good enough that the Fire declined to release him for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, keeping him home as they try to push back into the playoff picture.

Left back: Caleb Wiley, Atlanta United — $87,044

One of the breakout stars of the 2023 season so far, Wiley has impressed both at left back and on the wing for Atlanta United. The homegrown player has three goals and two assists in 884 minutes so far this year, and it will be no surprise to hear about legitimate transfer interest in him as soon as this summer window. Atlanta already rejected a transfer offer for Wiley last year. He will play for the U.S. U-20 team at the upcoming World Cup, and he has also already earned his first senior USMNT cap.

Center back: Henry Kessler, New England Revolution — $220,000

The 24-year-old has been a consistent and reliable starter for New England since entering MLS as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. Kessler has been on the fringes of the USMNT picture in the past — he earned a call-up to the 2021 Gold Cup and has two caps — and this year has continued to prove himself to be a go-to starter for Bruce Arena for a Revs team that currently sits atop the Supporters’ Shield standings. Kessler ranks in the top 20 for goals added this year in MLS, per American Soccer Analysis.

Center back: Jackson Ragen, Seattle Sounders — $85,444

Ragen has one of the more interesting paths to become an MLS starter. He spent his youth career playing in the Sounders’ academy, but signed to play college soccer at the University of Michigan. Seattle passed on signing him out of college, and the Chicago Fire drafted Ragen, who opted to stay in school and play out his senior season. After that season, he played for Tacoma Defiance in the USL and then Seattle traded for his MLS rights and signed him last season. Ragen started 14 games last season and has started all 12 games this season for the Sounders, who currently sit atop the Western Conference standings. For less than $100,000, Ragen is providing incredibly valuable minutes.

Right back: Mo Farsi, Columbus Crew — $74,735

Wilfried Nancy took over in Columbus and immediately gave chances to players down the roster. One of those who made the most of that opportunity is Mo Farsi, who originally signed with the Crew’s second team and led the club to win an MLS Next Pro title last year. He has started all 11 of the club’s league matches to start 2023 at right wingback. In addition to Farsi’s three assists, he’s fourth among MLS defenders in xA (1.74) and tied for second in chances created (26).

Defensive midfielder: José Martínez, Philadelphia Union — $301,250

Yes, we made an exception to our budget ceiling here, but we think it’s completely justified considering that Martínez is rated as one of the very best at his position and no player making less adds the same value at the same position. After all, this is all about finding players who are completely maxing out their budget charge and are a true all-budget team, and I don’t think anyone would argue that Martínez is a massive bargain at this number.

Midfielder: Brian Gutierrez, Chicago Fire — $240,004

The midfielder they call “Guti” in Chicago is a prime example of how you hope to see a homegrown develop. He signed as a 16-year-old in 2020 and saw very limited first-team minutes in that COVID-19-impacted season, but he jumped up to 595 minutes in 2021 and then tripled those minutes last season, developing into a productive starter. This year, Gutierrez has been challenged to be more productive in the final third and he has four assists so far, more than halfway to last year’s seven. If he can continue on this trajectory, Guti may be the next player sold out of Chicago after the sales of Slonina and Jhon Duran this past offseason.

Midfielder: Jack McGlynn, Philadelphia Union — $186,533

Another in a long line of Union homegrowns to break into the first team, McGlynn has won a starting spot in the competitive Union midfield. The 19-year-old has a left foot so special that it may take him to the highest levels and is already among the best distributors at the club. He’s in Argentina with the United States at the U-20 World Cup, where he’s expected to be a key starter in the group.

Forward: Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC — $195,000

Shaffelburg has fit seamlessly into the Nashville group, electric in transition and a willing runner around superstar Hany Mukhtar. The former Toronto FC homegrown was loaned to Nashville last summer and acquired permanently in the offseason. His three goals already this year are tied for his previous single-season career best.

Forward: Duncan McGuire, Orlando City — $77,360

After winning the MAC Hermann Trophy as college’s best men’s soccer player and the NCAA Golden Boot, Duncan McGuire is doing what he does in MLS: scoring goals. Orlando City selected McGuire with the No. 6 overall SuperDraft pick and the former Creighton star already has a team-best four goals in just 284 minutes. Orlando have had success in the SuperDraft, previously drafting Daryl Dike before the forward developed into a U.S. national team striker and was transferred to West Brom, and Cyle Larin, the Canadian national team star now scoring goals in Spain, before that. McGuire is looking like another draft success.

Forward: Kwadwo Opoku, LAFC — $257,288

Even as LAFC added superstar Gareth Bale and DP Denis Bouanga to their attack which already had Carlos Vela and Chicho Arango, Kwadwo Opoku still found his way onto the field every single regular season match last season as the team won MLS Cup. The livewire winger, now 21, started 20 of those 34 games, adding seven goals and two assists. It’s more of the same this year even as LAFC reloaded again, with Opoku appearing in all 10 of the club’s games, with eight starts.

Honorable mentions:

Goalkeepers: Luis Barraza, NYCFC — $152,688; Roman Celentano, CIN – $112,500; George Marks, CLT — $68,775; John McCarthy, LAFC — $121,667; Patrick Schulte, CLB — $103,178

Defenders: Kyle Hiebert, STL — $85,444; Zac McGraw, POR — $151,875; Jalen Neal, LAG — $138,625; Will Sands, CLB – $91,000; Nkosi Tafari, FCD — $240,750; D.J. Taylor, MIN — $98,261

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed, VAN — $94,819; Ben Bender, CLT — $105,444; Noel Buck, NE — $67,360; Bryce Duke, MTL — $150,000; Jasper Loffelsend, RSL — $96,600; Dani Perreira, ATX — $118,414; Owen Wolff, ATX — $113,053

Forwards: Simon Becher, VAN — $70,485; Kei Kamara, CHI — $231,000; Jared Stroud, STL — $103,200

(Top photos: Eakin Howard/Getty Images; Graham Stokes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Design: Eamonn Dalton)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k25pa29obnxzfJFsZmltX2aDcLnLrGScp56pv6Kv06xkm52jqXqlscClqmaukaHCpns%3D

ByteZest