Updated Red Bulls Salary List

By: Dave Martinez | October 6th, 2009

salary_cap_small Updated salaries have been posted, reflecting teams pay as of September 15, 2009. In the clandestine world of MLS, a look at the finances are a rare peak into the inner workings of the individual teams, and the league as a whole. When they give you the info, be thankful!

Definitely a few pleasant surprises here this time around, especially when you consider the fact that the list no longer includes albatross salaries of Juan Pietravallo and Khano Smith.

Here is the rundown (the first number being the base salary, the second being the guaranteed):

NY Angel Juan Pablo F $ 1 ,500,000.00 $ 1,798,000.00
NY Borman Danleigh D-M $ 20,100.00 $ 20,100.00
NY Boyens Andrew D $ 49,550.00 $ 52,050.00
NY Celades Albert M $ 100,000.00 $ 125,625.00
NY Cepero Daniel GK $ 34,000.00 $ 34,000.00
NY Chirgadze Giorgi F $ 20,100.00 $ 20,100.00
NY Coundoul Bouna GK $ 123,999.96 $ 125,249.96
NY Garcia Walter Ariel D $ 36,000.00 $ 36,000.00
NY Goldthwaite Kevin D $ 102,000.00 $ 111,000.00
NY Hall Jeremy M $ 55,000.00 $ 104,000.00
NY Johnson Carlos D $ 90,000.00 $ 110,750.00
NY Kandji Macoumba F $ 70,000.00 $ 90,988.37
NY Krupnik Leonid D $ 144,000.00 $ 144,000.00
NY M’Buta Matthew M $ 20,100.00 $ 20,100.00
NY Mendes Carlos D $ 85,000.00 $ 88,125.00
NY Oebster Ernst M $ 36,000.00 $ 36,000.00
NY Petke Mike D $ 80,000.04 $ 80,000.04
NY Richards Dane M-F $ 125,000.00 $ 136,500.00
NY Rojas Jorge M $ 120,000.00 $ 130,000.00
NY Sassano Luke M-D $ 34,000.00 $ 34,000.00
NY Stammler Seth M $ 118,000.00 $ 118,000.00
NY Ubiparipovic Sinisa M $ 34,650.00 $ 34,650.00
NY Wolyniec John F $ 80,000.00 $ 80,000.00
NY Zimmerman Nick D $ 20,100.00 $ 20,100.00

BARGAIN PLAYERS:

- Nick Zimmerman. Yes, he started the season off like a house on fire, cooling off recently with Coach Williams insertion as the interim manager. Nevertheless, at 20k a season, Zim has been one hell of a bargain, with a bright future ahead of him. He has already shown the propensity to start on the wings or at central mid, which makes him a valuable, moldable piece for the team moving forward.

- Danny Cepero. He may no longer be the starting keeper, but you tell me of a more reliable option for your “back up” than a young player who managed to play a big role in bringing the team to its first Finals appearance? Making only 34k, Cepero is a steal by all measures.

- Matthew M’buta. I don’t know if the Bulls will ever see the talent they have in this kid. He is fast, skilled, and I believe he is an inspirational coach away from breaking out as a major cog in this Red Bull system. But he hasn’t really been given the chance to run with it, for one reason or another. I am hoping M’buta stays in the Bulls plans into next season, at an equally modest salary, and perhaps Matthew will be able to show the skill that many feel he can achieve.

- Andrew Boyens. Is he capable of being a starter? Recent play indicates he is. Would he be a reliable back up? Recent play indicates he would be. So in a league where depth is considered so rare and so important, can a max 52k salary really be a bad investment on a person who plugs in the various leaks for the defense when all else fails? Remember, he did the same last year towards the championship stretch. In my eyes, Kiwi is a bargain for sure.

WHOA…THAT’S ALOT OF MONEY:

- Leonid Krupnik. 144k? Wow. The Metro castaway went overseas for a few years, and came back to a pot of gold. Now, he mainly rides the bench as the unlikely duo of Andrew Boyens and Mike Petke (previously known as Molasses and The Snail – I just made that up! Nice!) have been commanding the middle effectively for weeks. Now that is a lot of money to be sitting on a bench!

- Bouna Coundoul. I am sorry, but when did Coundoul ever win anything? As a matter of fact, he hadn’t a team till the Bulls came knocking. Not to say that Bouna isn’t worth the money or investment, but that is a pretty heavy salary on a chance player. Yes, Coundoul has the makings of a great keeper, but he hasn’t arrived to that level yet. Shouldn’t the 6 digit salaries be spent on people with a resume to back it up (which is why Celades will not be under this banner!)

- Carlos Mendes. This one hurts. Mendes has always been one of my personal favorites on the team ever since his days of manning the centerback spot with Jeff Parke. Great tandem. But Mendes is also a versatile individual, capable of playing some destroyer, and central midfield as well. Underutilized for sure, Mendes has his value. But his inability to find pitch time (2009 has seen the least amount of playing time in Mendes career) only makes his 80k salary a practical waste. Perhaps it is time for Mendes to either push for more playing time, or to find it elsewhere.

PLEASANT SURPRISES

- Walter Garcia. He hasn’t played at all, and was clearly the nail in the coffin that was the Agoos / Osorio breakup. Most were worried that this would be another money spending adventure gone awry, but at 36k, the blow seems less severe than otherwise anticipated. I will be hoping that the young Argie is worth it (and you know I love me some Argie!)

- Ernst Oebster. You can put Ernst in the Garcia category, where basically no one knew how much their salary would effect the cap. What makes Oebster ever more intriguing is the fact that he wanted to be here last season and was touted as a top prospect. Well, looking at the numbers, he is definitely another understandable investment by the Bulls, at a fair price tag.

Overall, the cap picture doesn’t look all that bad. As a matter of fact, it seems workable in a very stringent salary cap system. Though Jorge Rojas claims to be on a mission to stay a Red Bull, his recent performances have him with one foot out the door, and that would be another six figure salary to go by the wayside. If Albert Celades does return next season, his price tag as well seems like a bargain in a league bereft of capable central midfielders. Some areas do need further scrutiny, but the maneuverability is there to make significant changes for the coming season.

What are your thoughts on the numbers? And surprises or let downs I didn’t cover? Share your thoughts.