The 2025 MLS GAM Numbers Update

The watch guide goes on the backburner as we dive deeper into the league's latest release

Transparency is key in life. Whether that's with a partner, your parents, your friends, and hell even your employer, it can go a long way. Fans and media have been clamoring for MLS to be more transparent with the roster rules and salary mechanisms. We’re not being pushy because we want to hurt the league. We want to talk about the league like we can talk about the NBA or NFL with their salary cap room.

Well, kudos to MLS. In another key step, they’re releasing the remaining GAM numbers for teams as of February 28.

Marc Machado

and I wrote about the Roster Profile Release on Backheeled but today, I’m bringing my five key takeaways from the GAM update to my FAM (get it?).

LA Galaxy

Available GAM: $0

The $0 of 2025 GAM left for the Galaxy is the most stunning thing about this release. Well, stunning may be the wrong word. We knew the Galaxy were in trouble with the strange moves they were making, trading $100k 2026 GAM for $125k 2025 GAM, or selling off a 2026 International Spot to Dallas for $200k and then using that to acquire a 2025 International Spot from Orlando. These are not moves made by teams that are in good salary cap situations. I can almost assure if they're at zero GAM with those transactions, they also pulled forward some GAM from 2026.

Still, to see a zero is jarring. The Galaxy won 2024 MLS Cup and are going to blame the MLS Cup bonuses as the key culprit in their salary crunch. It for sure plays a role in this calculus; that cannot be denied. The Columbus Crew were able to keep their XI intact after winning the championship in 2023. LAFC and NYCFC kept eight of their starting 11. To me, it seems like there’s a bit more that’s causing this cap crunch. Here are the questions I have about the Galaxy and their zero:

• Was Emiro Garces’ transfer fee payment set for this season? Remember, transfer payments hit the budget charge when they are paid.

• Does Marco Reus have escalators in his deal that make him a max TAM?

• The Galaxy exercised the buy option for GK Novak Micovic. How is that hitting the cap?

• Did they not receive any GAM for the Dejan Joveljic sale?

The solution for the Galaxy is tough. They need to analyze the Riqui Puig situation very closely in the summer when they are allowed to change roster constructions. They can decide between models from July 1 to Aug. 21. After that date, the team will have seven games left. If the season is lost, is it worth it to have the conversation with Puig and ask him to focus on his recovery to come back stronger in 2026, place him on SEI, and go to the 2+4 Model to acquire GAM for another move? Players don’t like going on SEI so they’ll need to think about it and how Puig will react.

Banners fly forever but this is just a crazy situation.

Inter Miami

Available GAM: $3,151,842

Let me get this straight. Inter Miami has one of the more complete rosters in MLS. They have the greatest player in the world in Leo Messi. They added Telasco Segovia (who’s looked great so far), Tadeo Allende, Maxi Falcon, and Gonzalo Lujan.

And they still have the flexibility to spend over $3M in GAM?

I know everyone wants to accuse Miami of cheating but they’re one of the few clubs that employ a cap person in their front office. Meghan Cameron is the team's director of player personnel and compliance. She worked at the league before moving to SKC, where she was involved in making sure the team was cap-compliant. Safe to say Cameron is playing that role in Miami, as stated by former CSO Chris Henderson.

Say what you want about Miami but they have the potential to do a lot with this money. They can roll it forward to 2026. They can bring in a player in the summer to help push for Inter Miami’s playoff run which commands a transfer fee and a higher salary (if they want to go all in). If things aren’t going their way, expect some moves to be made by the club. They can afford it.

DC United, Nashville, Philadelphia

I’m going to spend a paragraph on each of these teams because they’re all to me in similar situations. I wouldn’t consider any of these teams true contenders but their GAM situations are towards the bottom in MLS.

DC United

Available GAM: $122,558

I’m going to give DC United the benefit of the doubt here. I don’t think the Ted Ku-DiPietro move is involved in these totals. Their roster doesn’t seem to be super expensive and they haven’t made any big moves since the trade. I also don’t think they made the TKD deal out of necessity (like the Galaxy and Joveljic). If we plug that $1.125M into their GAM totals, it moves them from the bottom to the middle of the pack. I’m still wrapping my head around why the club went 3+3 over 2+4 unless they are planning to make a big splash before the window closes.

Nashville SC

Available GAM: $154,293

Nashville worries me guys. BJ Callaghan is in his first season as coach of the club and I believe there’s going to be some sort of roster turnover at some point. This team is low on GAM after having to buy out Randall Leal and give away Shaq Moore. Are they holding that much of Sean Davis’ budget charge? The cap situation was messy going into the off-season and continues to be as the season wears on.

• One element I’m intrigued by is the status of Walker Zimmerman. This is pure spitballing here but Zimmerman is a free agent after the 2025 season. Could a team in the summer window acquire him for a playoff run, add him as a DP (or allow Nashville to keep him on their roster), and then get first rights at re-signing him to a new deal? I don’t anticipate him costing a lot in terms of GAM and if he’s interested in the acquiring club, I think it makes sense for Nashville as a part of its refresh.

Philadelphia Union

Available GAM: $450,458

Philadelphia are the darlings of MLS right now with their amazing start. I’m not 100% sure if the McGlynn money is in but what makes me a bit more confident that it is, is the Indiana Vassilev trade, where they sent out $400K in 2025 GAM. Danley Jean Jacques has to have a bit of his transfer fee left if he’s a TAM player and the loan fee for Ian Glavinovich probably is pushing him to a TAM level as well. Overall, I would expect them to have more flexibility with their roster but it may be one of those years where they eat the transfer fees for a cheaper 2026 budget charge.

Minnesota, NYCFC, San Diego FC

These three are in their own category because of their surplus of GAM. As a reminder, GAM doesn’t expire if it’s not the money they can essentially buy from the 2+4 model. Each of these clubs are on that model, so not all of their listed amount can be carried over.

Minnesota United

Available GAM: $3,897,595

Minnesota United are just trending in the positive direction once again. The way they’ve managed their cap situation has been excellent and they’ve built out a solid team. Kelvin Yeboah seems like a hit and the rest of the team has had solid outings so far, to finish 2024 and to start 2025. Joaquin Pereyra is eligible to be bought down from his DP spot, and with all their GAM, they can potentially bring in players that can elevate them come the summer of 2025. Or, they can roll over this money and come in with a bigger war chest come 2026.

NYCFC

Available GAM: $4,223,082

NYCFC is a bit more of a mystery. They sold Santiago Rodriguez and Talles Magno is on loan until the summer. They have a lot of room to work with and I’d expect them to be a bit more aggressive with who they are in the league and the cash they have. Selling Rodriguez will help with owner spending and I mean, they’re owned by CFG. They not only have a lot of GAM but also, actual cash. I’m a bit surprised to see them in this situation and I’m wondering if they’ll make moves.

San Diego FC

Available GAM: $4,124,655

San Diego FC and Tyler Heaps are still a blank canvas. They have so much allocation money and can watch and see how the team does before making any drastic moves to either improve or hold off. It’s the beauty of being an expansion side that shouldn’t have that many expectations early on. I’d expect them not to be big buyers in the summer but to take a methodical approach under Heaps.

Those are my key takeaways from the release. We can talk on and on about these numbers but I gotta stop at some point. We’ll probably dig deeper into these numbers for Tuesday’s column.

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Here’s your Week 3 Watch Guide, which is way shorter due to the GAM release:

• New York Red Bulls at Atlanta United (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 6:30 PM CST)

  • A team that forces others to play directly (NYRB) plays a team that wants to play directly and go forward (ATL). I think we will see goals in this match, especially with the quality on the pitch. Emil Forsberg has shown his quality and I’m curious to see how the transition desiring Red Bulls play against an Atlanta defense that really struggled in those moments vs Charlotte.

• Chicago Fire at FC Dallas (Toyota Stadium, 7:30 PM CST)

  • I promise I am not a biased man in Dallas asking you to watch FC Dallas. After all, they’re in Frisco (45 minutes away). The team showed something against Colorado that I haven’t seen in a Dallas team in a while: chaos. Pair that with the Fire, who’ve looked better under Gregg Berhalter and the return of Brian Gutierrez? Featuring one of my favorite new signings Jonathan Bamba? There’ll be some fireworks in Frisco Saturday night.

• Minnesota United at San Jose Earthquakes (PayPal Park, 9:30 PM CST)

  • Bruce Arena has the Earthquakes playing fun soccer at times but often, suffering in moments. Hernan Lopez’s red card didn’t help things vs Sporting KC but the Quakes have a lethal attack. How does that pair with the strong defense of Minnesota United and their attack led by Yeboah, Hlongwane, and friends?

That’s all I got for this week. Till next time!