Andy Najar was making the league minimum of $39,000 when he was named MLS’s rookie of the year in 2010, and his reward was a contract that tripled for the next season.



It was a healthy bump—up to $155,800 in guaranteed pay—but one that fell short of the type of increase a 17-year-old would see in other parts of the world should he break in to the first team and establish himself as one of the team’s top starters. Najar played two more seasons with D.C. United before heading to Anderlecht in Belgium, and it was there that his exposure to the global market resulted in a significant salary increase.



It’s been nearly eight years since Najar broke on to the MLS scene, but not much has changed about the way MLS handles contract renegotiations for players who outperform their rookie deals. It is still very rare for a player in MLS to see a massive jump in salary between their first and second deals.



MLS’s single-entity...