Emilio Gets Promoted to Designated Player

By: Laurie | May 8th, 2008

I think this is a first.

Luciano Emilio of DC United, MLS Golden Boot winner from 2007, has just been promoted from Regular Guy on the Field to Designated Player.

You know. Designated Player. The one-per-team spot (unless you’re the LA Galaxy) that generally goes to high-profile foreign players who can not only perform on the field but improve the Butts-in-Seats factor. In general, these players tend to be older, and they also tend to have already established themselves and created a fanbase in another country. Obvious examples: Chicago Fire’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco and LA Galaxy’s David Beckham.

But DC United has decided to play the game a little differently. True, they just brought in high-profile thirty-two-year-old Argentinian Marcelo Gallardo as their first DP. But according to Steven Goff, they have apparently used the second DP slot they acquired when they sold Christian Gomez to Colorado to promote Emilio to a DP. This allows him to receive above the league maximum salary of $400,000.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t this makes him the first MLS player to achieve DP status through his play in MLS?

Rewarding play on the field with pay and status? What a novel concept.

Only problem is, it’s a little more complicated than this. Emilio was the Golden Boot winner last year. He hasn’t quite played with the same fire so far this year. United, the Supporter’s Shield winners in ‘07, are currently in the cellar of the Eastern Conference.

So it looks like this is both reward and incentive.

From Goff:

Here’s the deal: Emilio and United have signed an amendment to his original contract, essentially a bonus (how much, I don’t know) that brings his earnings past the DP threshhold of $400,000-plus. He had been guaranteed $313,000 this year. His original contract remains intact, but at some point this year, one of three things must occur: United must sign him to a new deal, trade him or sell him abroad. Fair to say, his scoring output the next few months will determine his fate.

As you will recall, Emilio and United had been in discussions over the winter following his MVP and Golden Boot 2007 season about tearing up his original contract and negotiating a new deal. That never occurred, and many around the league have speculated Emilio’s scoring drought this spring stems from his unhappiness about his contract status.

Curious to see if this strategy — rewarding unhappy, non-performing players with more money and status — will work out for them.

(For more on DC United, be sure to check out our DC United Offside blog.)