Austin FC, LA Galaxy swap Diego Fagundez for Memo Rodriguez

According to Bogert, the deal would bring Austin "up to $300,000 in general allocation money (GAM) but could go as high as $900,000 GAM including add-ons," in addition to getting the slightly younger Rodriguez into the mix. 

Given that both Austin FC and the Galaxy are out of Leagues Cup competition, both players won't get a chance to feature with their new teams until league play resumes on Aug. 20. 

“We are happy to have Memo return to his home state of Texas to join Austin FC,” said Austin FC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell by way of press release. “He is a talented midfielder who is going to help the team and knows the league well, and we wish him and his family a warm welcome to the community here in Austin.”

He also added, regarding the departing Fagundez, "The Club is sincerely grateful to Diego for his contributions to growing Austin FC on and off the field in the organization’s first two-and-a-half seasons. He will forever be an important part of the team’s history and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Back in February, upon signing his contract extension, Fagundez said, "Having been with Austin FC since the beginning, I couldn’t be prouder of how far this Club has come in its first two years. I’m thrilled to stay here and sign a new contract, and want to thank my family, teammates, coaches, and the incredible fanbase for all their support. This place has become like home and I’m confident that this team and community will achieve great things together.”

Though Fagundez has been a frequent starter for Verde since the inaugural season, he fell out of favor with Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff in March, being pulled early in a road match against the Dynamo and singled out in the post-match press conference. 

After that 2-0 loss, Wolff told the assembled media, "That was a poor performance. I think if you have a poor performance, it's fair to come out, I think for Diego, the standard that he has had here and in Austin for two years, the ability to do what he's done and he certainly got rewarded with a good contract ... There's responsibility to everything and it's not just him, it's everybody.

He then added, "We need Diego. We need him to be operating at a better form. He's got to play himself into that. That's just part of being a pro." 

Wolff also has hinted in recent weeks that some Austin FC players could be offloaded during the summer transfer window. Thanks to the Galaxy's ongoing transfer ban which lasts until the end of the summer transfer window on Wednesday, trading within the league is one of the few mechanisms available for the Galaxy to get new players. 

In just over 1000 MLS minutes this season, Fagundez has a pair of goals and a pair of assists. He most recently scored for the club on July 21, converting a penalty kick in Verde's 3-1 loss to Mazatlán in the team's Leagues Cup opener. 

The Striker's Victor Araiza, who followed Rodriguez during his time in Houston, notes that he's been a "good contributor off the bench" and is "best in the middle of the field as a creator but needs more of a spark and need to show more dominance. Consistency has always been his issue, but he has also been moved around the field — for example, playing as a winger when it’s not his best position. He has a few good moments in him, especially in free kick situations, but again, that means little without consistency." 

Rodriguez, on a Galaxy team that's had arguably an even more frictive season than Austin, has one goal and one assist in close to 700 minutes. 

According to the MLS Players Association Salary Guide for 2023, Rodriguez is on a base salary of $180,000 and guaranteed compensation of $210,167, while Fagundez is on $1 million base salary and $1.06 million in guaranteed compensation. 

On early Tuesday afternoon, as rumors about the trade were beginning to circulate, Washington Fagundez (the father and former agent of Diego), tweeted, "Se dice que la piedra en el zapato hay que sacarla jaja Suerte!" (roughly meaning, "It is said that the stone in the shoe must be removed, haha, good luck!")

He didn't specify whether Fagundez was seen by club officials as a "stone" or whether Wolff was a stone in Fagundez's metaphorical shoe.

In Alex Ruiz's analysis of the trade from the Galaxy's perspective, he noted that the need for a winger motivated the deal. 

"Tyler Boyd has had his moments playing on the left wing, but his playmaking and finishing are inconsistent," Ruiz observed. "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."