At around this time last season, the Chicago Fire introduced Bastian Schweinsteiger as a Designated Player, paying a hefty $4.5 million for his services. The move, as is true with many MLS signings of older European stars, was twofold in impact: On one hand, Schweinsteiger was old, fragile and unlikely to contribute for a long time, especially given the Fire’s logjam in central midfield. They would have to assemble a complicated puzzle in order to successfully integrate him into the lineup.
On the other hand, he has won the World Cup and had been one of the best passing midfielders in the world for a decade.