Jeff Rueter examines the history of the Portland Timbers’ Designated Players in his ongoing series.

As Minnesota United gears up to join MLS in 2017, there are a few markets that the Twin Cities are compared to as teams in the league that “do it right.” While Sporting Kansas City has most of their focus set on local growth and domestic dominance, the Portland Timbers have embraced casting a wider net. They boast in having one of the most storied histories of any club in US soccer. The Timbers joined MLS in 2011 to much fanfare, hoping to capitalize on the buzz from their northern rival Seattle Sounders to make the Pacific Northwest the new hotbed for the sport. While the energy around the club is undeniable (and winning MLS Cup in their fifth year was a major testament to the work the club has done), how much of a role has the DP had in their success?

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 (founded 2011)

FAVORITE FRUITLESS RUMOR: Marcos Flores, March 2011

Diego Chara (2011-2013)

Age When Signed: 25
Average Base Salary per Season: $150,004
Goals+Assists per 90: 0.106

Pre-DP:
A tireless, feisty central midfielder, Chara came up through Colombia’s Deportes Quindío youth system, making his senior debut at 18. Across four seasons, Chara made 124 appearances, catching the eye of then-first division side América de Cali and joining them for all of 2009. After 37 more appearances, he was transferred to Deportes Tolima and proved to be a key part of a very competitive side, even earning two Colombian national team call ups in 2010 and 2011. During the 2011 Copa Libertabdores (CONMEBOL’s main club competition), he provided a key assist to knock off Brazilian giants Corinthians, catching the eyes of many clubs internationally due to the nature of the tournament.

DP Years:
The Timbers jumped at the chance to make the midfielder their first Designated Player, signing him in April. He came in and started 27 matches for Portland in their first season, scoring twice and adding 4 assists (impressive totals for a defensive midfielder on an expansion side) due to his MLS career-high 26 shots–more than twice the amount he’s had in any season since. He started 59 matches across the next two seasons, helping Portland to their first postseason appearance in 2013 and proving to be a very valuable part of the Timbers’ identity.

Post-DP:
Chara extended his contract in 2013, allowing the team to forgo the transfer fee-based portion of his status and ending his stay as a DP. Chara has continued to be a model of consistency in Portland, good for 7-10 yellow cards a year among 28-34 starts. His interplay with fellow central midfielders Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri, Will Johnson, and Jack Jewsbury have been vital to the club’s success (most notably their 2015 MLS Cup title).

Grade: B+
In his prime and at a great price, Chara was as solid as you could hope for in the midfield. His tenacity is unwavering, and while he may not have this reflected in the box score, it’s clear that he’s one of Portland’s most valuable players.

Kris Boyd (2012)

Age When Signed: 28
Average Base Salary per Season: $1,250,000
Goals+Assists per 90: 0.380

Pre-DP:
A 6’1″ striker, Boyd was actually trialed by Scottish side Rangers as a right back before developing up front for Kilmarnock. In six years with Killie, Boyd bagged 67 goals in 153 appearances, securing a move to Rangers in 2006. He was unstoppable, scoring 101 goals in 140 matches before leaving the club in 2010. He played one season with Middlesbrough, struggling to find time before a loan stint to Nottingham Forest. He signed with Turkish side Eskişehirspor but only played 76 minutes before he was released, claiming the club never paid him. Internationally, he made 18 appearances with the Scottish men’s national team, scoring 7 goals but accepting or rejecting his call-ups purely due to whoever was managing the national team at the time.

DP Year: 
After declining an offer from the Houston Dynamo, Boyd signed on with Portland. The Timbers had secured his rights from Houston for a 2013 SuperDraft 1st round pick (used on forward Jason Johnson). He made his debut on March 12, scoring the match-winning goal in a 3-1 victory and winning fans over immediately. However, as Gavin Wilkinson took over for the fired John Spencer, Boyd’s minutes were slashed in the new system. He finished the year with 7 goals and 1 assist. Boyd and Portland mutually decided to terminate his contract in January 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n79dJ9J476g

Post-DP:
Boyd has gone back and forth between Killie, Rangers, and Killie again in the four years since. He’s opened the Scottish season well this year, scoring three goals in the first six matches.

Grade: F
Still the highest-paid Timber in history, Boyd was a major flop. Poachers tend to be streaky, but Boyd mentally checked out of games and failed to build a rapport on the field. His motivation was a red flag from his international days as well as his time under Walter Smith with Rangers, and it carried over to Portland as well.

Diego Valeri (2013-Current)

Age When Signed: 26
Average Base Salary per Season: $512,500
Goals+Assists per 90: 0.766

Pre-DP:
The Argentine #10 made his debut with hometown club Lanús at 17, becoming a regular by the time he was 20 and turning heads across the nation. He went on loan to FC Porto in 2009, but after 12 appearances he wasn’t picked up permanently and returned home. He went on another loan stint in 2010, this time with Almería. He returned and became a regular with Lanús once again, and from 2003-2012 he made 158 appearances with the side, scoring 26 goals.

DP Years:
Originally acquired on loan, Valeri joined the Timbers ahead of the 2013 season as the first DP in Caleb Porter’s regime. He immediately made an impact, scoring 10 goals and 13 assists while making the MLS Best XI as well as winning the Newcomer of the Year award. Ultimately, his purchase option was activated in August and he joined Portland in full. He made another Best XI in 2014 to the tune of 11 goals and 14 assists, even adding an assist in the All-Star Game as MLS knocked off Bayern Munich. While injuries hampered him during the 2015 season, he came back with a vigor for the postseason, scoring a goal in the MLS Cup final in 27 seconds and winning match MVP as he helped the Timbers claim their first Cup. He’s had 12 goals and 7 assists so far this year, but his biggest headline in 2016 was his contract renewal this August that will keep him in MLS through 2019.

Grade: A+
Did you watch that compilation?

More than any other DP in league history, this is the signing that Minnesota United will want to emulate the closest. On a very favorable salary, Valeri has been a top-10 player since entering the league, playing his prime at a premium position in a middle market. Quite simply, there haven’t been many better values in MLS history than Valeri.

Liam Ridgewell (2014-2016)

Age When Signed: 29
Average Base Salary per Season: $1,100,000
Goals+Assists per 90: 0.076

Pre-DP:
After spending time in the West Ham academy, Ridgewell made his debut for Aston Villa at 18, making 79 appearances across 5 seasons. He transferred to Birmingham City (Villa’s rivals) in 2007 for $2.5 million, with the center back making 152 appearances in five seasons and becoming a respected player in the process. After some lineup shuffling that saw him play in the midfield and floundering results, Ridgewell requested a transfer, ultimately getting his wish in 2012 as he joined West Bromwich Albion for two seasons. After 76 appearances, his contract wasn’t renewed after the 2013-2014 season.

DP Years:
Ridgewell joined the Timbers in June 2014 and was called into the All-Star squad as a late replacement by Caleb Porter in August. He became an immediate fixture of the backline, adding two goals and an assist across 15 starts. After the club acquired Nat Borchers before the 2015 season, Portland had one of the best center back pairings in the league, with both players serving as leaders on the pitch and in the community as the club relied on them en route to winning MLS Cup. He’s made 19 starts thus far this year, and last month signed an extension with the club through 2018, using TAM to buy down his contract and make him a non-DP.

Grade: B
A very steady player, Ridgewell has been one of the most reliable parts of a perennial contender. While he may have been the highest-paid defender on his initial contract, the club was able to rally around him to win the Cup, justifying his paycheck.

Fanendo Adi (2014-2015)

Age When Signed: 23
Average Base Salary per Season: $600,000
Goals+Assists per 90: 0.784

Pre-DP:
The athletic Nigerian target forward made his debut with Slovakian side AS Trenčín in 2009, Adi bounced around Eastern Europe for a few years before settling in with F.C. Copenhagen in 2013. Always seen as a player with massive potential, he struggled to find his footing in Europe, playing for five clubs in five years

DP Years: 
Still a young player by US standards, the Timbers acquired Adi on loan with a purchase option in May 2014. He teamed with Valeri up front as he started to unlock his potential, starting 18 matches while scoring 9 goals and adding 4 assists. The club purchased his contract at the end of the season, and he broke out in 2015 by scoring 16 goals and leading the Portland attack during their Cup conquest. At the end of the year, he signed an extension with the club to bring his salary hit below the DP threshold. This season, he already has 15 goals for the Timbers as they look to finalize a postseason spot down the stretch.

Grade: B+
Young starting target forwards are hard to come by in the global market. Acquiring one at a reasonable salary after he’s already worked his way into your system? That’s an absolute no-brainer. The 6’4 Adi is one of the toughest players to mark in MLS, able to use his size as a battering ram while making attacking runs and causing havoc for defenders.

Lucas Melano (2015-Current)

Age When Signed: 22
Average Base Salary per Season: $780,000
Goals+Assists per 90: 0.373

Pre-DP:
The Argentine winger came up with Belgrano in 2011, scoring 7 goals in 44 appearances over three seasons–all before turning 20. He signed with Lanús in 2013, playing in 42 matches across two seasons while also seeing time with the Argentina U-20 national team. A speedy winger, Melano is able to use his pace to get down the sidelines and has proven to be skillful with the ball at his feet.

DP Year:
Portland went back to the well that had provided Diego Valeri in July 2015, signing Melano as a DP in the middle of the season. He was a game-changing part of their flexible wing attack, rotating with Rodney Wallace, Dairon Asprilla, and Darlington Nagbe before becoming a near-regular starter for the postseason. His magical goal against FC Dallas solidified their place in MLS Cup. He’s continued his form into 2016, starting 26 matches and adding 3 goals and 5 assists for Portland. In the league’s recent 24 Under 24 series, he came in at 10.

Grade: B
It’s tough to grade a winger’s output when they aren’t always on the scoresheet, but Melano has turned a role as the fourth-attacking option on a Cup contender (behind Valeri, Adi, and Nagbe) into a key part of Portland’s game plan. He’s shown moments of brilliance on the ball and looks to truly be settling into a rhythm in MLS.

Portland Timbers Recap:

Average Signing Age: 25.5
Average Base Salary: $732,084
Average Grade: B

It’s immensely impressive that five of Portland’s six DPs are still on their roster. This is a major testament to the Timbers’ front office and their ability to retain key players despite not being a marquee market. Further, the one player who doesn’t still play with Portland has very good reason to have been released, and the club has a lot of talent to play with week in and week out.

Also: has there been a more diverse pool of DPs in the league, especially given their short timeline? A Colombian enforcing midfielder, a Scottish striker, two Argentine attackers, an English defender, and a Nigerian striker? The club’s scouting ability has been tremendous in unearthing talent from unorthodox places.

Next week: Montreal Impact

Note: Montreal Impact Designated Report was traded to Alex Schieferdecker along with Writers’ Allocation Money in exchange for the October 3rd installment of the NASL Power Rankings and future considerations. Per 55.1 Policy, WAM amounts are undisclosed.