Earlier this season, Real Salt Lake coach Mike Petke estimated his team’s entire payroll matched that of Toronto FC’s top two earners — an estimation confirmed by Thursday’s player salary figures were released by the MLS Players Association.
The first release of the 2018 salary guide — an update will come later this summer as rosters change — reveals RSL is 14th out of 23 teams in spending at $8,975,666.57. To put that in perspective, Toronto FC this year will pay $7 million alone to Sebastian Giovinco in addition to another $6.5 million to Michael Bradley.
RSL’s salary figure does not include Yura Movsisyan, whose salary the club is responsible for after waiving him at the end of February. Movsisyan, who is currently on loan to a club in Sweden, is guaranteed $1.85 million in base salary and just over $2 million in total guaranteed compensation.
The highest-paid player currently on RSL’s roster is Spanish forward Alfredo Ortuño, who tops the list with a base salary of $990,000 and total average guaranteed compensation of $1,162,500. Ortuno has played in three games this season and has not registered a shot on goal while falling behind Corey Baird and Luis Silva on the depth chart.
Damir Kreilach ($1,013,33.33 total compensation) and Designated Player Albert Rusnák ($907,820) are the second- and third-highest-paid players. Jefferson Savarino, RSL’s other DP, is guaranteed $398,687.65 after signing a permanent deal with RSL over the offseason.
Goalkeeper Nick Rimando, 38, and captain Kyle Beckerman, 36, both took pay cuts after entering free agency and negotiating new deals with RSL. Rimando’s guaranteed compensation dropped to $422,499.96, about $47,500 less than last season. Beckerman is guaranteed $530,008 this year, a nearly $300,000 cut.
The top individual earners in the league are LAFC forward Carlos Vela ($6,292,500), Chicago midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger ($6,100,000.08) and Los Angeles Galaxy forward Giovani dos Santos ($6 million).
2018 REAL SALT LAKE PLAYER SALARIES <br>As of May 1, 2018, according to the MLS Players Association <br>Name • Position • Base salary • Total compensation <br>Alfredo Ortuno • F • $990,000.00 • $1,162,500.00 <br>Damir Kreilach • M • $900,000.00 • $1,013,333.33 <br>Albert Rusnak • M • $850,008.00 • $907,820.50 <br>Marcelo Silva • D • $675,000.00 • $711,875.00 <br>Joao Plata • F • $525,000.00 • $683,333.33 <br>Kyle Beckerman • M • $505,008.00 • $530,008.00 <br>Nick Rimando • GK • $399,999.96 • $422,499.96 <br>Jefferson Savarino • F • $375,000.00 • $398,687.65 <br>Justen Glad • D • $270,000.00 • $291,700.00 <br>Sunday Stephen • M • $275,000.00 • $288,000.00 <br>Tony Beltran • D • $230,000.00 • $240,950.00 <br>Brooks Lennon • D/F • $225,000.00 • $237,583.33 <br>Luis Silva • F • $225,000.00 • $233,666.67 <br>Jordan Allen • M • $225,000.00 • $225,000.00 <br>Pablo Ruiz • D/M • $180,000.00 • $201,000.00 <br>Luke Mulholland • M • $173,250.00 • $173,250.00 <br>David Horst • D • $125,004.00 • $131,629.00 <br>Shawn Barry • D • $131,250.00 • $131,250.00 <br>Demar Phillips • D • $131,250.00 • $126,250.00 <br>Adam Henley • D • $114,999.96 • $122,833.29 <br>Sebastian Saucedo • M • $100,000.00 • $110,500.00 <br>Danilo Acosta • D • $100,000.00 • $100,000.00 <br>Ricky Lopez-Espin • F • $67,500.00 • $76,250.00 <br>Alex Horwath • GK • $67,500.00 • $73,362.50 <br>Jose Hernandez • M • $67,500.00 • $70,875.00 <br>Taylor Peay • D • $67,500.00 • $67,500.00 <br>Aaron Herrera • D • $67,500.00 • $67,500.00 <br>Nick Besler • D/M • $67,500.00 • $67,500.00 <br>Connor Sparrow • GK • $54,504.00 • $54,504.00 <br>Corey Baird • F • $54,504.00 • $54,504.00<br>Player payroll by club as of May 1, 2018*<br>Club • Base salary • total compensation<br>1. Toronto FC • $23,480,305.25 • $26,167,498.70<br>2. LA Galaxy • $14,799,179.79 • $17,502,008.30<br>3. NYCFC • $13,249,557.75 • $14,147,632.75<br>4. Chicago Fire • $13,165,346.10 • $13,824,204.42<br>5. LAFC • $11,554,868.77 • $13,815,052.70<br>6. Portland Timbers • $11,209,418.04 • $12,516,334.70<br>7. Montreal Impact • $7,230,910.72 • $11,888,540.59<br>8. Seattle Sounders • $9,767,458.36 • $11,376,125.37<br>9. Atlanta United • $10,369,120.49 • $11,306,330.49<br>10. Colorado Rapids • $9,981,476.61 • $11,001,331.46<br>11. FC Dallas • $8,239,754.28 • $9,333,819.28<br>12. Sporting Kansas City • $8,825,489.64 • $9,176,166.46<br>13. Orlando City SC • $8,230,667.88 • $8,981,657.52<br>14. Real Salt Lake • $8,228,527.92 • $8,975,665.56<br>15. Philadelphia Union • $8,492,603.99 • $8,915,987.84<br>16. Vancouver Whitecaps • $7,531,016.48 • $8,233,011.71<br>17. Minnesota United • $7,561,893.83 • $8,152,682.50<br>18. San Jose Earthquakes • $7,116,234.78 • $7,787,252.58<br>19. New York Red Bulls • $7,079,490.20 • $7,689,313.94<br>20. Columbus Crew • $6,632,083.47 • $6,971,083.47<br>21. New England Revolution • $6,139,673.54 • $6,818,556.10<br>22. D.C. United • $6,325,796.94 • $6,744,419.63<br>23. Houston Dynamo • $5,267,338.29 • $5,673,471.63<br>*This table is based based off figures from the MLS Players Association. The players union includes some players who are on loan to other clubs in some cases and not in others.
