I was reviewing MLS rosters almost 6 years ago when it dawned on me that good MLS teams weren’t being built overnight. Despite relative salary parity and a maze of player acquisition rules crafted to instill equality, the good teams were never being slapped together in one off-season. Teams that did feature several or more off-season moves always seemed to be slapped down low in the standings the following season. I continued to track these numbers before then I took a hiatus.
With the 2017 MLS season starting, there seemed like no better time to dive right back in.