Jeff Rueter examines the history of Orlando City’s Designated Players in his ongoing series.

Before Cincinnati and Sacramento stole the hearts of lower-division fans across the country, there was Orlando City. After joining USL in 2010, Orlando tapped into a thriving summer market to build an impressive fanbase that’s only become more prominent as the club finishes their second season in MLS. While they seem to be closer to an expansion role model for Minnesota than their counterparts in the Bronx, how much can be drawn from the team with the highest-paid player in the league?

All transfer sum numbers from Transfermarkt.
All salaries thanks to MLS Players Union surveys.
An asterisk (*) indicates a player who signed their DP deal mid-tenure with club.

Previous installments:

Introduction to Series and Updating Chart of Profiled Clubs
DC United: C
FC Dallas: C+
Columbus Crew: B
Sporting KC: B-
New York Red Bulls: B-
San Jose Earthquakes: C
New England Revolution: C+
Los Angeles Galaxy: B+
Chicago Fire: C-
Colorado Rapids: B-
Real Salt Lake: B
Chivas USA: B-
Houston Dynamo: D
Toronto FC: B+
Seattle Sounders: B
Philadelphia Union: C-
Portland Timbers: B
Montreal Impact: B-
Vancouver Whitecaps: C

Orlando City SC (joined MLS in 2015)

FAVORITE FRUITLESS RUMOR: Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, July 2015

Kaká (2015-Current)

Age When Signed: 32
Average Base Salary per Season: $6,660,000
Goals+Assists per 90: 0.683

Pre-DP:
Quite simply, Kaká is one of the finest players in 21st century soccer. He balanced interest in soccer and tennis until he signed a deal with São Paulo FC at 15. In 2002, he made his debut for the Brazilian national team, ultimately playing a key role in the nation’s World Cup victory this year. He was sold to AC Milan in 2003 for $9.5 million, building his profile and ultimately winning the Ballon d’Or in 2007. He was sold to Real Madrid in 2009 for $75 million, joining forces with David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane to form a new world power. However, injuries and depth at his position saw his minutes take a hit, ultimately returning to Milan in 2013 on a free transfer. He made 30 appearances that year, showing he could stay healthy and still possessed game-changing ability. Off the field, he’s been a U.N. ambassador since 2004, made the Time 100 list as an influence on and off the pitch in 2008 and 2009, and is the most-followed athlete on social media.

DP Years:
Citing a desire to play in the United States and an appreciation for Orlando’s Brazilian owner (Flávio Augusto da Silva), Kaká signed with the Lions for an MLS record salary in August 2014. He returned to São Paulo FC on a loan to stay fresh before returning for the team’s preseason. He wasted no time to make an impact on the pitch, scoring off of a free kick in Orlando’s first MLS match to force a draw with New York City. All told, he scored 9 goals in 28 matches, adding 7 assists and a strong veteran presence to the new side. He’s missed ten matches this year but has been equally prolific, with 8 goals and 8 assists. At 34, he stills provides massive contributions on the field and was the MLS All-Star captain in both appearances to date.

Grade: A
An absolute no-brainer here. Few players compare to Kaká in terms of global appeal. He’s shown a strong connection with his teammates and the Orlando community, making him one of the best ambassadors the league has ever had.

Bryan Róchez (2015-Current)

Age When Signed: 20
Average Base Salary per Season: $120,000
Goals+Assists per 90: 1.019

Pre-DP:
The young Honduran forward debuted for Real España in 2012 at the ripe age of 17. By 2013-14, he scored 20 goals to lead the club, even finishing second in the Golden Boot chase. At 5’11”, he’s able to rely on his pace and strong movement off of the ball to create his own chances.

DP Years:
After his breakout season, many MLS teams tried to place discovery claims on him, but ultimately Orlando won out. A transfer fee (not made public per MLS policy) was finalized, and Róchez joined the Lions ahead of their inaugural season. Then-head coach Adrian Heath worked him into the rotation, with his minutes held down while he developed. During one three-game stretch in mid-September, Róchez scored in three consecutive matches, each coming off the bench in the 70th minute or later. Those were the only goals he would score in 16 substitute appearances adding up to 265 minutes. While he recovered from injury and was outside of the rotation, he was loaned back to Real España. He’ll hope to crack the lineup under a new coach (Jason Kreis) in 2017.

Grade: D
While his 2015 was promising, the fact that he failed to see the field once in 2016 is a damning sign for his trajectory in Orlando. A player who still seems two-to-three years away from being a real contributor, using a DP spot and a transfer fee on a player who’s had fewer than three matches worth of minutes in MLS isn’t a good bit of business.

Carlos Rivas (2015-Current)

Age When Signed: 21
Average Base Salary per Season: $140,000
Goals+Assists per 90: 0.447

Pre-DP:
The Colombian winger made his debut at 18 for Once Caldas, earning 10 appearances in his first season. He joined Deportivo Cali in 2013, scoring 13 goals in 36 matches through the end of the 2014 calendar year. A quick player, Rivas used his pace to get past defenders and create his own chances, making him a top young player in his native league.

DP Years: 
In January 2015, Orlando paid a $1.5 million transfer fee to secure Rivas as their third DP. (The transfer fee also covered his teammate, defensive midfielder Cristian Higuita.) He started 13 matches across 27 appearances in his debut season, adding 4 assists and putting 63 shots in, failing to score. His playing time was sparse in the first half of the 2016 season, as Heath rotated him from a starting role to a super-sub spot. Once Kreis came in, however, he found his groove opposite Kevin Molino on the wing, serving prominently in a 4-1 road win against Montreal. In the match, Rivas netted a gentleman’s hat-trick (one goal, two assists).

Grade: B-
A player very much in the mold of Fabián Castillo, Rivas took a step forward in 2016 once Jason Kreis took over. With the lack of time he found under Heath, his grade is very much incomplete. In terms of potential, though? Rivas might be a bargain.

Orlando City SC Recap:

Average Signing Age: 24.3
Average Base Salary: $2,306,667
Average Grade: B-

Kaká and Róchez neutralize each other in the gradings, while the low salaries of the young players cut away at Kaká’s record hit. Orlando went to the extreme of two DP methods with their first three and have had relative success in both realms. Targeting young talent and hoping they’ll develop into contributors has worked for Portland and Dallas, and Rivas seems to be a step in the right direction. However, as players like Chicharito and Carlos Vela are linked to Orlando, it’s tough to see them holding that course for too long.

Next week: New York City FC