This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The official description of what has been colloquially referred to in recent weeks as the "core player mechanism" was announced Wednesday morning by Major League Soccer. The league will provide each club with $100,000 per year over the next five years in funds to further invest in roster spots outside of the usual salary budget.
This initiative will be refereed to as "Targeted Allocation Money," and according to a release from the league, will be in accordance with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was agreed to in principle three days before the 2015 MLS season began in early March.
And the timing couldn't be more fitting.
The announcement coincided with the July 8 opening of the secondary transfer window, meaning all MLS clubs are free to shake up their rosters or make big moves. Each franchise will be provided with the same amount through the league's budget.
A club may utilize a portion or all of its Targeted Allocation Money — as much as $500,000 — to be used in one season on up to as many as three players at one time, which means if a club wants to sign a player at or above a maximum salary budget ($436,250) in 2015, it may use as much of its $500,000 of Targeted Allocation Money to acquire the player.
The new mechanism may also be used to change a current Designated Player slot to a non-DP position by "buying down," on a prorated basis, that player's salary at or below the maximum salary charge. However, if the Targeted Allocation Money is used to free a Designated Player spot, the club must coincide that move with the acquisition of a new DP "at an investment equal to or greater than the player he is replacing."
The Targeted Allocation Money, like the allocation money allotted to each club by the league, allows an avenue to sign or re-sign existing players on contract, but may only be done so for players who earn more than the maximum salary budget charge ($436,250), but who don't take up one of the club's three Designated Players slots.
Spending the $100,000 isn't a requirement each season, but must be used in some form by the following season. If a club doesn't use its $100,000 in 2015, that chunk of change must be put to use or traded sometime by the end of the 2016 season.
Real Salt Lake's three Designated Players in 2015 are captain Kyle Beckerman and strikers Joao Plata and Sebastian Jaime. Both Plata and Jaime replace former DP's Alvaro Saborio and Javier Morales.
— Chris Kamrani
Twitter: @chriskamrani