Under MLS’s salary cap, it is essential for every successful team to find some bargains on the market who can contribute on a regular basis.



Designated Players and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) signings are usually the stars of the team, the reality of the league’s salary structure means every roster is going to be filled out with more players making less than $400,000 than those making above the league maximum ($504,375), which would require a DP spot or TAM. Teams with strong academies and good scouting systems gain a real advantage when they can find quality players for less than $200,000 in salary.



We thought it would be fun to take a look at a Best XI of the very best budget players in MLS—an MLS All-Budget team, if you will. Think of it as the players whose agents will be on the phone looking for new contracts this off-season.



Every year, the MLS Players’ Union releases a list of players’ salaries on its website, giving...