The LA Galaxy will not stay dormant following their Leagues Cup elimination. 

The LA Galaxy confirmed on Tuesday afternoon it has acquired Austin FC winger Diego Fagúndez in exchange for midfielder Memo Rodriguez and $300,000 in General Allocation Money with a possible additional $600,000 in add-ons. 

Rodriguez was signed this past offseason to a one-year deal following a career that dates back to 2014 with the Houston Dynamo. The 27-year-old made 12 appearances in MLS play with the Gs recording one goal and one assist and bringing him near the 150-game mark in MLS career appearances. He recently returned from a quad injury that kept him out for a few weeks in June.

Fagúndez, 28, has been a big part of Austin FC’s club history. He signed with the club prior to its inaugural 2021 season after spending a career at the New England Revolution that started when he was 16. 

During the 2022 campaign, he recorded six goals and 12 assists to help the Texas club finish second in the Western Conference. The club rewarded his performance that season with a new contract extension until the end of the 2025 MLS campaign that elevated his base salary to $1 million a year. 

Like Austin FC this season, Fagundez has experienced a regression from last season’s stellar numbers. Through 19 games this season, he has two goals and one assist. With Fagúndez becoming one of the best-paid players for Austin, this season has been extremely underwhelming. 

The LA Galaxy sits seven points behind the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. This trade can inject a spark to cut that deficit and inspire a good run of form to get postseason soccer for the Galaxy. 

Why this trade was made

The Galaxy needs a winger badly. 

Tyler Boyd has had his moments playing on the left wing, but his playmaking and finishing are inconsistent. This has been particularly visible in the last couple of games. Reviewing the Galaxy roster reveals there is no competition at that position. Rodriguez played matches in that position, but it was clear he would not be successful as a wide midfielder.

With their inability to participate in the transfer window due to sanctions given by Major League Soccer, the club is limited to trades within MLS and signing free agents after the window closes on Wednesday — as they're expected to with Japanese international center back Maya Yoshida.

If the Galaxy were going to make a significant inner-league trade, it would ideally be for a player that’s proven to produce. Fagúndez is one of only 13 players in MLS history to record at least 60 career goals and 60 career assists. He’s been in the league since 2011 when he debuted at age 16.

"At his best, he's an extremely creative player who can provide assists centrally as well as from wide positions, can find his own shot, and has also been one of Austin's primary free kick specialists," said The Striker's Phil West, who has been covering Fagundez since his first season with Austin. "He's also a very no-nonsense player who will be accountable for mistakes and will put the team first. While he's had a challenging 2023, he was a vital building block for Austin FC, and fans are going to be upset that he's moving on." 

He’s going to add much more playmaking out wide, as he tends to cross often, and his set-piece abilities can be put to use right away. If he can put up similar production to last season in LA’s final 12 games of the season, making the MLS Cup playoffs this campaign isn’t such a far-fetched idea.