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McCarthy's Musings: Complex situation ultimately leads Philadelphia to ship Sébastien Le Toux to Vancouver
Budgetary concerns and organization philosophy prompt the Union's surprising decision to trade Le Toux to the Whitecaps for allocation money.
Feb 1, 2012 4:47:00 AM
By Kyle McCarthy
From the most simplistic viewpoint possible, the comings and goings in Philadelphia this week look downright disastrous for a side attempting to build upon its first playoff appearance.
There simply isn't a way to sugarcoat the losses of Sébastien Le Toux (shipped to Vancouver in exchanged for an undisclosed amount of allocation money) and Faryd Mondragón (transferred to Deportivo Cali at his request). Le Toux provided much of the Union's attacking thrust over the past two seasons despite shuttling into different spots on a regular basis, while Mondragón supplied plenty of stability between the sticks when healthy last season. Their departures hurt the squad considerably and strip away perhaps the two most influential performers from last season.
It isn't enough, however, to say the departures of Le Toux and Mondragón will hurt the Union. In the case of such high-profile departures, the underlying reasons behind them often prove far more important to the club's future.
Mondragon's exit appeared somewhat outside of the Union's control, but the decision to trade Le Toux fell well within its purview. If so, then why would the Union swap a frequent and reasonably priced ($179,000 in guaranteed salary in 2011, according to MLS Players Union documents) goalscorer for allocation money?
Dig a little deeper into the background behind the departures and a somewhat more nuanced explanation emerges: the Union's operating philosophy – plus an expensive personnel decision in August and a somewhat unanticipated sequence of events after that point – placed the club in a position where it would likely need to jettison Le Toux either now (at a time where he could yield a decent haul) or at the end of the season (when he could depart on a free transfer) instead of handing him the pay raise he thought he deserved in a new deal.
Philadelphia manager Peter Nowak cited his approach to team-building in a conference call held with reporters in the wake of Le Toux's move to Vancouver and Roger Torres' arrival on a permanent transfer from América de Cali.
“It’s all about, as we always said, that we all believe and we make known to the public as well that we would like to build a club that is all about the future,” Nowak said, according to philly.com. “It’s not about one player, it’s about the future.”
The emphasis on building a team for two or three years down the line has prompted Nowak and the Union to stockpile young players to create a core group for several years. By enlisting Home Grown talents, selecting players with Generation adidas ties in the MLS SuperDraft and signing other promising professionals to minimum or near-minimum salary contracts, the Union has collected several domestic prospects to fuel its future growth without drastically impacting its budget situation in its first two seasons.
Such a beneficial arrangement generally exists for only so long in MLS and two events have placed the Union in a financially uncomfortable spot heading into 2012 and beyond: the decision to acquire Freddy Adu in a budget-crippling deal in August and Danny Mwanga's graduation from Generation adidas in November.
Both players create substantial problems within the MLS economic model because they offer comparatively poor value for their wages. Adu's compensation ($475,884 base/$594,884 guaranteed in 2011, according to the MLS Players Union) forces the Union to carry a maximum salary hit ($335,000) on the salary budget and buy down the remainder of that significant wage packet with allocation money. In this particular situation, Adu – as the most expensive non-Designated Player (and therefore most expensive player in salary budget terms) in the league right now, if those numbers hold – would probably have to win MLS MVP to validate that sort of investment in his services. Mwanga and his lucrative Generation adidas deal ($120,000 base/$226,250 guaranteed in 2011, per MLS Players Union documents) will now count against the salary budget and presumably face significant pressure to influence matches more regularly.
(Note: The reasons behind Adu's current classification as a non-DP remain somewhat murky. If the numbers posted by the MLS Players Union (if entirely accurate) provided the sole criterion for judging whether Adu would count as a DP, then the onerous nature of the deal would seem to indicate that a DP tag makes the most sense for all parties. For whatever reason (and there could be several contributing factors), the calculus didn't work out that way.)
To be fair, the Union apparently investigated other ways to relieve the budgetary pressure without success. Adu spent some time training with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, but that spell didn't spark a loan or a permanent deal that could have either taken the U.S. international off the books or yielded some resources to help the budgetary fight. Mwanga reportedly made the rounds on trade market – a notion fiercely denied by Nowak on Tuesday, but propped up by persistent rumblings earlier this month – and trained at Aston Villa. Le Toux ventured across the pond to train with Bolton Wanderers at the club's behest as the Union attempted to solicit a transfer bid.
Not even Mondragon's sudden decision to end his career in Colombia and the ample budgetary relief associated with it solved all of the problems. There are too many factors in play – three players signed from Central America earlier in the offseason, the fee paid to sign Torres permanently, the potential additions still remaining on the shortlist (a center forward and now a proven goalkeeper, one might expect), the planned raise for Sheanon Williams and others and the possibility of Amobi Okugo, Zac MacMath or Jack McInerney graduating from Generation adidas after the campaign – for one fell swoop to extricate the Union from its budgetary quandaries.
Le Toux ultimately made way in a divisive switch that has by and large left the Union faithful infuriated. The popular Frenchman, 28, had one year left on his deal, but his desire to stay with the Union and his production over the past two seasons presumably placed him among the building blocks rather than the discards. It didn't quite work out that way.
(Note: The lingering question in the background revolves around whether the relationship between Le Toux and Nowak inspired the Union to shop him or whether the return gained for his services proved too necessary or tempting to bypass. Le Toux told TEAM 1410 in Vancouver on Tuesday that he didn't particularly like playing midfield in Philadelphia, but Nowak said Le Toux's preference played no role in the decision. Nowak also added the following statement during his press conference after a reporter asked about the sentiments held by club executives after the potential Bolton move broke down, per philly.com: “Feelings are not really included in my job description.” For now, consider the matter unsettled.)
After hearing about the move, the normally genial Le Toux unloaded on Nowak and the Union to the Delaware County Daily Times in a wide-ranging interview.
“I’m sad because of the way I was treated by the staff. I’m disgusted,” Le Toux said. “I’m sorry for the guy who already bought my jersey. Maybe he can get the refund.”
No refund appears forthcoming for the Union as Le Toux comes to terms with his sudden departure from a city he didn't want to leave and Nowak and his staff wrestle with the fallout.
At this point, the Union must hope that its decision to acquire Adu and keep the faith in its youth movement at Le Toux's expense reaps significant benefits over the next few years. If it does not, then this trade will slide into the rarest of categories used to classify transactions in professional sports: mortgaging known quantities in the present to preserve the uncertain future.
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSsoccer.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
There simply isn't a way to sugarcoat the losses of Sébastien Le Toux (shipped to Vancouver in exchanged for an undisclosed amount of allocation money) and Faryd Mondragón (transferred to Deportivo Cali at his request). Le Toux provided much of the Union's attacking thrust over the past two seasons despite shuttling into different spots on a regular basis, while Mondragón supplied plenty of stability between the sticks when healthy last season. Their departures hurt the squad considerably and strip away perhaps the two most influential performers from last season.
It isn't enough, however, to say the departures of Le Toux and Mondragón will hurt the Union. In the case of such high-profile departures, the underlying reasons behind them often prove far more important to the club's future.
Mondragon's exit appeared somewhat outside of the Union's control, but the decision to trade Le Toux fell well within its purview. If so, then why would the Union swap a frequent and reasonably priced ($179,000 in guaranteed salary in 2011, according to MLS Players Union documents) goalscorer for allocation money?
Dig a little deeper into the background behind the departures and a somewhat more nuanced explanation emerges: the Union's operating philosophy – plus an expensive personnel decision in August and a somewhat unanticipated sequence of events after that point – placed the club in a position where it would likely need to jettison Le Toux either now (at a time where he could yield a decent haul) or at the end of the season (when he could depart on a free transfer) instead of handing him the pay raise he thought he deserved in a new deal.
Philadelphia manager Peter Nowak cited his approach to team-building in a conference call held with reporters in the wake of Le Toux's move to Vancouver and Roger Torres' arrival on a permanent transfer from América de Cali.“It’s all about, as we always said, that we all believe and we make known to the public as well that we would like to build a club that is all about the future,” Nowak said, according to philly.com. “It’s not about one player, it’s about the future.”
The emphasis on building a team for two or three years down the line has prompted Nowak and the Union to stockpile young players to create a core group for several years. By enlisting Home Grown talents, selecting players with Generation adidas ties in the MLS SuperDraft and signing other promising professionals to minimum or near-minimum salary contracts, the Union has collected several domestic prospects to fuel its future growth without drastically impacting its budget situation in its first two seasons.
Such a beneficial arrangement generally exists for only so long in MLS and two events have placed the Union in a financially uncomfortable spot heading into 2012 and beyond: the decision to acquire Freddy Adu in a budget-crippling deal in August and Danny Mwanga's graduation from Generation adidas in November.
Both players create substantial problems within the MLS economic model because they offer comparatively poor value for their wages. Adu's compensation ($475,884 base/$594,884 guaranteed in 2011, according to the MLS Players Union) forces the Union to carry a maximum salary hit ($335,000) on the salary budget and buy down the remainder of that significant wage packet with allocation money. In this particular situation, Adu – as the most expensive non-Designated Player (and therefore most expensive player in salary budget terms) in the league right now, if those numbers hold – would probably have to win MLS MVP to validate that sort of investment in his services. Mwanga and his lucrative Generation adidas deal ($120,000 base/$226,250 guaranteed in 2011, per MLS Players Union documents) will now count against the salary budget and presumably face significant pressure to influence matches more regularly.
(Note: The reasons behind Adu's current classification as a non-DP remain somewhat murky. If the numbers posted by the MLS Players Union (if entirely accurate) provided the sole criterion for judging whether Adu would count as a DP, then the onerous nature of the deal would seem to indicate that a DP tag makes the most sense for all parties. For whatever reason (and there could be several contributing factors), the calculus didn't work out that way.)
To be fair, the Union apparently investigated other ways to relieve the budgetary pressure without success. Adu spent some time training with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, but that spell didn't spark a loan or a permanent deal that could have either taken the U.S. international off the books or yielded some resources to help the budgetary fight. Mwanga reportedly made the rounds on trade market – a notion fiercely denied by Nowak on Tuesday, but propped up by persistent rumblings earlier this month – and trained at Aston Villa. Le Toux ventured across the pond to train with Bolton Wanderers at the club's behest as the Union attempted to solicit a transfer bid.
Not even Mondragon's sudden decision to end his career in Colombia and the ample budgetary relief associated with it solved all of the problems. There are too many factors in play – three players signed from Central America earlier in the offseason, the fee paid to sign Torres permanently, the potential additions still remaining on the shortlist (a center forward and now a proven goalkeeper, one might expect), the planned raise for Sheanon Williams and others and the possibility of Amobi Okugo, Zac MacMath or Jack McInerney graduating from Generation adidas after the campaign – for one fell swoop to extricate the Union from its budgetary quandaries. Le Toux ultimately made way in a divisive switch that has by and large left the Union faithful infuriated. The popular Frenchman, 28, had one year left on his deal, but his desire to stay with the Union and his production over the past two seasons presumably placed him among the building blocks rather than the discards. It didn't quite work out that way.
(Note: The lingering question in the background revolves around whether the relationship between Le Toux and Nowak inspired the Union to shop him or whether the return gained for his services proved too necessary or tempting to bypass. Le Toux told TEAM 1410 in Vancouver on Tuesday that he didn't particularly like playing midfield in Philadelphia, but Nowak said Le Toux's preference played no role in the decision. Nowak also added the following statement during his press conference after a reporter asked about the sentiments held by club executives after the potential Bolton move broke down, per philly.com: “Feelings are not really included in my job description.” For now, consider the matter unsettled.)
After hearing about the move, the normally genial Le Toux unloaded on Nowak and the Union to the Delaware County Daily Times in a wide-ranging interview.
“I’m sad because of the way I was treated by the staff. I’m disgusted,” Le Toux said. “I’m sorry for the guy who already bought my jersey. Maybe he can get the refund.”
No refund appears forthcoming for the Union as Le Toux comes to terms with his sudden departure from a city he didn't want to leave and Nowak and his staff wrestle with the fallout.
At this point, the Union must hope that its decision to acquire Adu and keep the faith in its youth movement at Le Toux's expense reaps significant benefits over the next few years. If it does not, then this trade will slide into the rarest of categories used to classify transactions in professional sports: mortgaging known quantities in the present to preserve the uncertain future.
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSsoccer.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
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