Staying on Track: Daniel Ríos Contributes Beyond His Pay Grade

As Atlanta United develops a deeper understanding and use of data analytics, we’re going to take a behind-the-scenes look at some specific stats that the club values. In this weekly content series, we’re looking at a metric provided by StatsBomb that may not stand out at first glance, but upon further evaluation, is a useful tool for measuring team performance. It’s Staying on Track presented by MARTA.

Daniel Rios cooked.

The Atlanta United forward has scored four goals in the team’s last six MLS games. During that same span, Ríos has also registered two assists, bringing his goal total to six in as many games. Goal contributions = goals + assists and are one of the best indicators of an offensive player’s effectiveness. Along with his latest streak, his five total goals this season are tied for second on the team, something the Mexican forward has done in just 781 minutes of MLS action.

Those stats are solid in terms of numbers, but what makes Rios’ performances even more noteworthy is the quality of his performances relative to the value of his contract. The forward joined Atlanta United on loan from CD Guadalajara (Chivas) in Liga MX in March and was added to the supplemental list.

To better understand this change, a spot on a supplemental team is different from a spot on a senior team. MLS defines these two designations as follows:

• Additional – The salaries of players on the supplementary list (slots 21 to 30) do not count towards a club’s salary budget.
• Senior – Up to 20 players, occupying positions 1 to 20 of the squad, count towards the club’s salary budget and are collectively referred to as the club’s senior squad.

When Atlanta United traded former winger Derrick Etienne Jr. to Toronto FC last April, the deal opened up a spot for Ríos to move from the supplemental roster to the senior roster, meaning he is currently one of 20 players who count against the club’s salary budget. But the move didn’t change what is known as his budget costsor basically, what Rios costs the budget.

In simple terms, think of an MLS salary budget as a budget you might set for picking up ingredients to cook dinner at the grocery store. As a consumer, you might be prepared to spend a little more money on high-end items or foods that will be the main course of the meal. For example, a rib-eye steak or fresh salmon are high-quality and perhaps harder to source. You might also set aside money for items that are important to stocking your pantry but aren’t necessarily the most sought-after. For example, bread, asparagus, or rice that go with the main course. These latter items are (usually) more plentiful and can be easily substituted for something else. They also may not cost as much.

These differences can also apply to the roster. Players that a club is willing to spend more money on, the steak or the salmon, are called designated players. These players are given a larger share of the budget. Their talent is usually more valuable or harder to find. They can be expected to have the most potential or make the most contributions. Thus, a larger piece of the pie, the pie being the club’s budget, is given to these players.

On the senior roster, Rios has the minimum senior salary under MLS roster rules ($89,716), a drain on the club’s annual salary budget of $5,470,000. On that basis, Rios would be designated in the category that is important to round out the roster, but not necessarily the price a headliner designated player would command.

Every now and then, though, you get a side dish so delicious, so well-seasoned or prepared, that it might be the part you remember most about the meal. It’s a unique situation, but one that could apply to Rios. Ideally, in building a team, players who are paid more will contribute more. You wouldn’t normally expect a player on Rios’ budget to contribute as much as he does on his senior minimum budget.

But Rios is proving he’s the kind of player who can pay dividends: he’s creative and scoring regularly for Atlanta United. He may not get a big chunk of the budget, but he’s done the work to show the kind of quality he can dish up on a platter.

Arjun Balaraman, Atlanta United Data Analyst and Scientist. Video by Khoury Kennedy, Atlanta United Motion Graphics Producer and Video Editor.