Galaxy midfielder holds aces in final year of his contract

The transfer of Eddie Lewis, the hold out of Roy Lassiter, and the dreadlocks of Cobi Jones: What do they have in common? All three players have a bearing on the future of MLS, all three are talented, productive Americans, and all three represent tough decisions for a fledgling league. MLS sold its stake in Eddie Lewis for slightly less than $2 million, more than enough to pay a team of MLS players for a year. It has refused to cut yet another new deal with Roy Lassiter, who ended his holdout and is playing for Miami. The league must decide this year what to do about Jones, whose contract is up on Dec. 31 and who will, according to all parties concerned,certainly solicit offers from abroad. By moving to England, Lewis quadrupled – at least – the salary he made with MLS (estimated at $70,000). Lassiter wants to renegotiate his contract that pays him approximately $100,000 per year and has four more years to run. Jones will earn a base salary of approximately $200,000 and can hit $250,000 through bonuses. “I can’t comment on negotiations,” said MLS executive vice president Ivan Gazidis, “and it’s a bit early to be talking about Cobi. But he’s proven his value to MLS, he’s proven his value to the Galaxy, and he’s proven his value to the national team. Obviously, he’s a very important player.” How important he is, and how much value is attached to him, will drive how aggressively the league pursues the renewal of his services. The climate for top American talent is a competitive one.

The Clemetson factor

The Lewis transfer to Fulham was swung by England-based agent Paul Stretford, the conduit of choice for U.S. players seeking employment in Britian. He engineered the transfer of Claudio Reyna from Wolfsburg to Glasgow Rangers and also brokered Joe-Max Moore’s move from MLS to Everton. “I think it’s going to be very difficult for the league to hold onto some players because their talent is exceeding their paycheck,” said Eric Wynalda, Lassiter’s teammate on the Fusion. “I will defend what Roy did, because no one deserves the league max more than him.” Yet Stretford isn’t the agent of greatest notoriety in MLS. That honor falls to Cory Clemetson, who ridicules the MLS single-entity system, places the league’s alleged maximum salary in the same category as the Easter Bunny, declares the league has no chance in court with the players’ lawsuit, and represents Lassiter and Jones. Clemetson’s confrontational, outspoken approach is anathema to MLS, that bastion of parity, single-entity and salary control. He rocked the league last year while handling negotiations for midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos and striker Raul Diaz Arce. Both players held out despite being under contract, and MLS refused to negotiate until the players reported to their teams. Both now earn close to the league maximum, which was a contributing reason Diaz Arce was traded from San Jose to Tampa Bay last season. Lassiter and Burn defender/midfielder Jorge Rodriguez – another Clemetson client – took the holdout route this winter before reporting in March. Both players wanted renegotiated deals but are playing under the current terms of their contracts. Jones isn’t holding out and has no intention of doing so. He has, however, begun discussions with the Galaxy regarding his future, and Gazidis says he plans to meet with Jones and Clemetson in April. He was the best U.S. player at the Gold Cup and tore up the field in the first two Galaxy games this season. “I’m willing to bet there is no league max,” said Clemetson. “I’d love to see the evidence. I’m convinced of it. I don’t think the players, like myself, want to see MLS go out of business. Single-entity hasn’t made MLS a successful, professional league in this country.” Clemetson regards Jones, Cienfuegos and Diaz Arce as an example of poor MLS business sense and marketing strategy. “Except for his footwear, none of Cobi’s endorsements were done through MLS,” said Clemetson. “The league has had problems in the past coordinating its marketing efforts with its players. “Taking players in, working partnerships – I haven’t seen it. Over five years, I haven’t seen the marketing arm working hand-in-hand. How players like Cienfuegos and Diaz Arce weren’t in the marketing plans over a long period of time is shocking to me.”

No pay for Roy

During Lassiter’s holdout, MLS sources said Clemetson was paying Lassiter to hold out. Lassiter stated publicly he had plenty of money and, if he had to, he’d live in Costa Rica. When Clemetson supposedly told MLS officials he would pay Lassiter to hold out, one of them asked if he’d be paying Lassiter at the rate of his current MLS salary or the $200,000 he wanted. Catty bunch, aren’t we? Clemetson said he didn’t pay Lassiter but didn’t deny he might have used such a comment as a negotiating ploy. “Would I lend Roy Lassiter money if he asked me, like any other client?” said Clemetson. “The answer’s yes. I’ve done that in the past. Nothing wrong with that. “But did I pay Roy Lassiter? No. “Last year, Cienfuegos and Diaz Arce reported in good faith, and they were offered $5,000 more than the previous offer, and they went home. The league didn’t deliver.” Lassiter is a tougher call. The league’s all-time leading goalscorer is certainly a valuable commodity, but at least one MLS source insists no team in the league would take him at the maximum salary of about $260,000. Gazidis points out the league has already renegotiated and cut new deals with Lassiter several times. Clemetson’s ranting about single-entity is predicated on there not being a way for Lassiter to determine his market worth. “Roy felt he wasn’t being taken seriously, and he intended to [hold out] a lot longer,” said Clemetson, “but for Roy’s purposes, we really believe the players will win the lawsuit. “We view this as a one-year experiment with the Miami Fusion, and I really believe if Roy Lassiter had a free market, he’d be paid the league max.” There’s little room for MLS to maneuver under the salary cap with Jones, who is already close to the league maximum. Clemetson believes if the league exceeded its own cap through supplemental payments, endorsement deals and signing bonuses for foreign players like Roberto Donadoni and Lothar Matthaeus, it should do so for Jones. “If the deal can, in the MLS terminology, make economic sense for Cobi, he’s very much willing to stay and play in Major League Soccer,” said Clemetson. “At the same time, he really has to believe Major League Soccer is going in a direction he wants to be part of.” When pressed as to how MLS can significantly sweeten Jones’ deal without breaching its own restrictions, Gazidis refused comment. Jones already earns “several hundred thousand dollars” per year in endorsements, according to Clemetson. “He’s important to this league, and I hope they take care of him,” said Wynalda, a childhood friend of Jones’ whose contract also expires at the end of the year. “In a way, he exemplifies what the league is facing. He’s earned a hell of a lot more respect than they gave him at the beginning.” by Soccer America senior editor Ridge Mahoney