One of the things that makes MLS different from almost any other league is the concept of the Designated Player.
It started when MLS and the LA Galaxy wanted to bring David Beckham to the United States and wanted to pay him (and others like him) above and beyond the structure of the salary cap that had been in place. And while MLS has been forever changed by the DP and the players that it can attract, up until now, the Philadelphia Union haven’t used it as aggressively as other teams have.