Photo Credit: New York Red Bulls
It's been less than a week since the New York Red Bulls lost 2-1 to the LA Galaxy in MLS Cup Final, but the offseason is already starting to heat up on Melanie Lane. Red Bull today announced the trade of Colombian center-back Andres Reyes to MLS Expansion side San Diego FC.
Reyes, who scored the game-winning goal in the Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando, was a late scratch to the starting lineup after he was reported to be dealing with an "illness"Â after warm-ups in the Final.
New York will receive $600,000 in GAM for 2025 and $200,000 in GAM for 2026 from San Diego. The club will also retain a percentage of Reyes' sell-on rights.
"We’re pleased to welcome Andrés to our team," San Diego's sporting director Tyler Heaps said after acquiring Reyes from Red Bull. "As a solid center-back with five seasons of MLS experience, Andrés has proven himself at this level while still possessing the potential to elevate his game even further at just 25 years old. We’re confident he’ll contribute to the team’s success and we can’t wait to see him in San Diego this January."
Red Bull originally acquired Reyes in January of 2021 and the Colombian made 98 appearances (7,088') for New York, scoring six goals and providing two assists. In his time in New York, Reyes also made his Colombian senior debut in December of 2023 against Venezuela and scored in his second international cap the very next week against Mexico.
During the 2024 season, Reyes had plenty of highs and lows for Red Bull. In the regular season, Reyes struggled with consistency and didn't play a single minute for Red Bull in the month of June. But once Red Bull clinched a playoff spot, the vibes around Reyes took a 180° turn.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz moved away from the team's usual 4-2-2-2 system and transitioned to a three-center-back formation that had Reyes in the middle of Sean and Dylan Nealis. That change saw Reyes become one of Red Bull's best players in the postseason. Schwarz allowed Reyes the freedom to be on the front foot and be aggressive in Red Bull's defensive half of the field, something the Colombian thrives at doing.
That tweak in Red Bull's style of play led to four playoff wins against the defending champion Columbus Crew, cross-town rivals New York City FC and Orlando FC. Reyes was a major contributor in all four games, including scoring the biggest goal of his career on the road in Orlando, which sent the Red Bulls to MLS Cup Final.
With Reyes now traded and 2023 1st round pick Aidan O'Connor not extended, the Red Bulls now have just three "natural" center backs, Sean Nealis, Noah Eile, and homegrown Davi Alexandre, on their roster.
New York will be very active this offseason to build around a roster that made their first MLS Cup since 2008. Expect to see Red Bull Head of Sport Jochen Schneider sign one or maybe even two first-team center backs to bring completion with Sean Nealis and Noah Eile to fill out the roster in New York.
