:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54469907/i_q33jNQh.0.jpg)
The MLS Players Union has released the player’s salaries this week. They release the figures twice a year covering new players from each transfer window.
For Sporting Kansas City it is the first look at salaries for new players like Gerso Fernandes, Ilie Sanchez and Latif Blessing as well as Feilhaber’s new contract.
Starting at the top, Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza is still the highest paid player at $850,000 (up $50,000 from last year). Besler and Zusi come in next at $758,250 and $757,102.27 respectively. Both veterans received a $25,000 bump from last year.
Dom Dwyer’s $668,750 is fourth and received a $50,000 bump from 2016.
Benny Feilhaber was out of contract at the end of 2016 and was rumored to be moving on but was re-signed for $600,000, a bump of $187,812.50 for 2017.
Two new players, Gerso and Ilie are sixth and seventh on the list. Needing help on the wing SKC is paying out $591,258 for Gerso. Ilie, he new holding mid comes in at $305,000.
Despite barely playing last year and receiving a season-ending that will keep him sidelined until June, Diego Rubio received a $22,000 increase to $218,875 for this year.
Soni Mustivar is the only player to not get at least a little bump and will again make $200,000.
Skipping down the list a bit, the two largest bumps percentage-wise are Kevin Ellis and Jimmy Medranda, both of them nearly virtually doubling their salary. With a little over 97% increase, Ellis goes up by $73,187.33 to $148,337.33, befitting a player that may never be penned in as the start but somehow constantly fills in for injured players.
Medranda goes up by 106% to $130,008, a $67,008 increase for a player that is finding himself in the starting lineup consistently.
**Note: these are the salaries as they are seen by the Players Union. In the past the salaries can include transfer fees and other costs included in acquiring a player, not their final salary.
Who is overpaid? Who are the bargains?
2017 Sporting Kansas City Salaries.csv
| Team | Last | First | Position | 2017 Guaranteed | 2016 Guaranteed | Difference | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Last | First | Position | 2017 Guaranteed | 2016 Guaranteed | Difference | % |
| KC | Espinoza | Roger | M | $850,000.00 | $800,000.00 | $50,000.00 | 6.25% |
| KC | Besler | Matt | D | $758,250.00 | $733,250.00 | $25,000.00 | 3.41% |
| KC | Zusi | Graham | M | $757,102.27 | $732,102.27 | $25,000.00 | 3.41% |
| KC | Dwyer | Dom | F | $668,750.00 | $618,750.00 | $50,000.00 | 8.08% |
| KC | Feilhaber | Benny | M | $600,000.00 | $412,187.50 | $187,812.50 | 45.56% |
| KC | Fernandes | Gerso | M-F | $591,258.00 | $591,258.00 | N/A | |
| KC | Sanchez | Ilie | M | $305,000.00 | $305,000.00 | N/A | |
| KC | RubioKostner | Diego | F | $218,875.00 | $196,875.00 | $22,000.00 | 11.17% |
| KC | Mustivar | Soni | M | $200,000.00 | $200,000.00 | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| KC | Melia | Tim | GK | $167,500.00 | $152,500.00 | $15,000.00 | 9.84% |
| KC | Opara | Ike | D | $150,000.00 | $131,250.00 | $18,750.00 | 14.29% |
| KC | Ellis | Kevin | D | $148,337.33 | $75,150.00 | $73,187.33 | 97.39% |
| KC | Sinovic | Seth | D | $132,666.67 | $112,666.67 | $20,000.00 | 17.75% |
| KC | Medranda | Jimmy | D | $130,008.00 | $63,000.00 | $67,008.00 | 106.36% |
| KC | Porter | Cameron | F | $117,500.00 | $69,750.00 | $47,750.00 | 68.46% |
| KC | Juliao | Igor | D | $115,008.00 | $115,008.00 | N/A | |
| KC | Abdul-Salaam | Saad | D | $110,550.00 | $76,750.00 | $33,800.00 | 44.04% |
| KC | Dykstra | Andrew | GK | $87,654.51 | $87,654.51 | N/A | |
| KC | Palmer-Brown | Erik | D | $75,500.00 | $65,500.00 | $10,000.00 | 15.27% |
| KC | Blessing | Latif | F | $74,379.00 | $74,379.00 | N/A | |
| KC | Saad | Soony | F | $65,004.00 | $65,004.00 | N/A | |
| KC | Iwasa | Cameron | F | $53,004.00 | $53,004.00 | N/A | |
| KC | Storm | Colton | D | $53,004.00 | $53,004.00 | N/A | |
| KC | Pasher | Tyler | D-M | $53,000.00 | $53,000.00 | N/A | |
| KC | Salloi | Daniel | F | $53,000.00 | $51,500.00 | $1,500.00 | 2.91% |
| KC | Zendejas | Adrian | GK | $53,000.00 | $53,000.00 | N/A |