Poku Sold?

We also probably spent a sizable chunk of TAM to pay for the transfer fees of Brillant and Mata so we don't really know how much is left.

No, TAM only applies when the players original salary is above the maximum salary threshold for that year. ($457,500 is 2015). The only player that fits that is Mix, and at $761,250, that means that we must have uses a little over $300,000 in TAM for him this year. Each team was given $800,000 in TAM to start and $100,000 every year after for the next 5 years (though we could have traded for more TAM). Based on that, we have $750,000 in TAM left if we sell/trade Mix (I'm pro-rating 2016's $300,000) $800,000 + $100,000 - ($300,000/2). Moreover, any new player we sign and use TAM for can't originally earn more the $1,000,000 to qualify unless he starts as a DP and we buy him down. Since we don't have an open DP spot, that's not an option at the moment.

PS, reading this I think I have to make some adjustments to my cap analysis, changing Mix's cap hit and tracking TAM remaining.
 
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By the way, can we all just agree that even though this is the right thing for both club and player, it's still rather sad. I really love watching him play. When he is on - man oh man he is exciting to see. I am going to remember for a long time the fun of that 5-3 Orlando game and all those long passes from Pirlo to Poku opening up the Lions' defense.
 
By the way, can we all just agree that even though this is the right thing for both club and player, it's still rather sad. I really love watching him play. When he is on - man oh man he is exciting to see. I am going to remember for a long time the fun of that 5-3 Orlando game and all those long passes from Pirlo to Poku opening up the Lions' defense.

I kept that match on my dvr for months just to re-watch the final 20 minutes over and over whenever the team would suck towards the end of the season...and during the long winter.
 
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No, TAM only applies when the players original salary is above the maximum salary threshold for that year. ($457,500 is 2015). The only player that fits that is Mix, and at $761,250, that means that we must have uses a little over $300,000 in TAM for him this year. Each team was given $800,000 in TAM to start and $100,000 every year after for the next 5 years (though we could have traded for more TAM). Based on that, we have $750,000 in TAM left if we sell/trade Mix (I'm pro-rating 2016's $300,000) $800,000 + $100,000 - ($300,000/2). Moreover, any new player we sign and use TAM for can't originally earn more the $1,000,000 to qualify unless he starts as a DP and we buy him down. Since we don't have an open DP spot, that's not an option at the moment.

PS, reading this I think I have to make some adjustments to my cap analysis, changing Mix's cap hit and tracking TAM remaining.
But I don't think we could have used any TAM on Mix, as TAM can only be used when signing a new player, resigning a player, or converting a DP to a non-DP.

You are correct on the player must be over the maximum salary budget, so barring trading any TAM away, we should have our full 800k.

http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/roster-rules-and-regulations

Targeted Allocation Money may be used in four ways:
  • Clubs may use the funds to sign a new player provided his salary and acquisition costs are more than the maximum salary budget.
  • Clubs may re-sign an existing player provided he is earning more than the maximum salary budget.
  • Clubs may use a portion of or all of the available Targeted Allocation Money to convert a Designated Player to a non-Designated Player by buying down his salary budget charge to at or below the maximum salary budget charge. If Targeted Allocation Money is used to free up a Designated Player slot, the club must simultaneously sign a new Designated Player at an investment equal to or greater than the player he is replacing.
    • A club retains the flexibility to convert a player bought down with Targeted Allocation Money into a Designated Player if that club has a free Designated Player slot.
  • Clubs may trade their Targeted Allocation Money to another club.
 
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TAM didn't exist when we signed Mix. We could have only used GAM to get him to fit under the 457k threshold.
 
But I don't think we could have used any TAM on Mix, as TAM can only be used when signing a new player, resigning a player, or converting a DP to a non-DP.

You are correct on the player must be over the maximum salary budget, so barring trading any TAM away, we should have our full 800k.

http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/roster-rules-and-regulations

Targeted Allocation Money may be used in four ways:
  • Clubs may use the funds to sign a new player provided his salary and acquisition costs are more than the maximum salary budget.
  • Clubs may re-sign an existing player provided he is earning more than the maximum salary budget.
  • Clubs may use a portion of or all of the available Targeted Allocation Money to convert a Designated Player to a non-Designated Player by buying down his salary budget charge to at or below the maximum salary budget charge. If Targeted Allocation Money is used to free up a Designated Player slot, the club must simultaneously sign a new Designated Player at an investment equal to or greater than the player he is replacing.
    • A club retains the flexibility to convert a player bought down with Targeted Allocation Money into a Designated Player if that club has a free Designated Player slot.
  • Clubs may trade their Targeted Allocation Money to another club.
TAM didn't exist when we signed Mix. We could have only used GAM to get him to fit under the 457k threshold.

By the rules, you are both correct. But we don't know if the league allowed us to convert our GAM to TAM for Mix because the rule was made after the fact in our inaugural season. I was making an assumption, but I agree that we should always assume we followed the rules and just be surprised when/if we learn they were broken. If that's the case we should have $900,000 in TAM available to us, with another $100,000 coming next season. We could theoretically sign a $950,000 player for 2 season and buy them down to $450,000 each year with that million in TAM. HOWEVER, we'd still be well over the cap since selling Poku only allows us $70,000 in cap space, unless we are also allowed to simultaneously use GAM to add to our already inflated cap. If not, we have to buy whatever player we sign down to the $70,000 cap charge. Unless we move Mix...
 
Some thoughts on the Poku departure. Hard not to think of what could have been, but ultimately I think that what I thought could have been was actually not realistic. Anyhow, first guy to leave the team that I had any attachment to, but ultimately a good move in my mind.

 
I fully blame Jason for stunting the development of Mix and Poku.
 
I fully blame Jason for stunting the development of Mix and Poku.
I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic....

I do blame Kreis for always playing Mix out of position - that was idiotic and illustrated his nativity.
 
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This is getting off target, but we don't know whether the transfer fees paid for Brillant and Mata might have put them over the league maximum salary. If so, then they presumably are TAM eligible. Remember that transfer fees are pro rated over the term of the contract for salary cap purposes.

I've also always assumed that we began using TAM on Mix this season, even though it doesn't seem to technically fit the requirements.
 
I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic....

I do blame Kreis for always playing Mix out of position - that was idiotic and illustrated his nativity.

We had 8 million center mids and nobody suitable for the wings. Someone had to play there, and it is to Mix's credit that he was versatile enough to do so.
 
I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic....

I do blame Kreis for always playing Mix out of position - that was idiotic and illustrated his nativity.

I am being serious lol. He never played Mix right and he would shut Poku down as soon as he would show positives. It was maddening.

I remember when we signed Pirlo, the consensus was that Mix next to Pirlo would be a nice partnership. He never even tried it. He was too busy trying to expose Pirlo out of spite.
 
We had 8 million center mids and nobody suitable for the wings. Someone had to play there, and it is to Mix's credit that he was versatile enough to do so.

Then don't play wings if you don't have them. Kreis changed the line up, formation and tactics so much it's amazing we won some games.

Once Nemec was deemed inept, the whole system changed. The 4-4-2 wouldn't work without a target man. It was all down hill after that.
 
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Then don't play wings if you don't have them. Kreis changed the line up, formation and tactics so much it's amazing we won some games.

Once Nemec was deemed inept, the whole system changed. The 4-4-2 wouldn't work without a target man. It was all down hill after that.
That always baffled me, there was no Plan B if Nemec didn't pan out. No other target forward was brought in... A formation he staked his reputation on needed a target forward & from day 1 of the season he banked on a single guy from the 2nd Bundesliga. But it was ok to play Mix on the wing after that.....
 
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That always baffled me, there was no Plan B if Nemec didn't pan out. No other target forward was brought in... A formation he staked his reputation on needed a target forward & from day 1 of the season he banked on a single guy from the 2nd Bundesliga. But it was ok to play Mix on the wing after that.....

To be fair to Kreis, this is who he wanted instead of Pirlo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Uribe

Kreis lost the power struggle. He didn't have final say, and he wasn't adaptable enough to deal with it.
 
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