LA Galaxy's Mauricio Cuevas Heads to Liga MX With Santos Laguna
The 23-year-old move to Mexico ahead of the Apertura season
Mauricio Cuevas is leaving the LA Galaxy after three years with the club, joining Santos Laguna in Liga MX for an undisclosed fee.
The 23-year-old made 12 appearances in MLS this season for the G’s before the move was confirmed. His departure closes a chapter that began when he joined the Galaxy academy at 13 years old.
Cuevas signed with LA Galaxy II in 2019 and briefly joined Club NXT, Club Brugge’s developmental squad, in 2022 before returning to the Galaxy the following year. In three seasons with the first team, he recorded three goals and 13 assists across 78 appearances in all competitions.
General Manager Will Kuntz paid tribute to the East LA native in a club statement. “This is a bittersweet occasion. Mauricio is emblematic of everything that the Galaxy Academy stands for: a fierce competitor, a great professional, and an exceptional teammate with a passion for his local community,” said Kuntz.
“We are immensely proud and excited to watch him as he takes this next step in his professional journey.”
Cuevas was part of the Galaxy’s 2024 MLS Cup championship squad but played just 330 minutes that season, largely serving as a depth option behind a settled backline. His role grew significantly in 2025 with 24 appearances, 791 minutes, two goals and three assists. He established himself as a genuine option at right back for Greg Vanney.
He entered 2026 with momentum and an expectation of more starting opportunities. The reality didn’t quite match. His appearances became sporadic, his crossing, one of the most dynamic elements of his game when he gets forward, lost some of its sharpness, and the defensive side of his game has always been the area opponents targeted. There hasn’t been a major leap in those deficiencies in his game.
What made Cuevas interesting as a player was always his attacking influence. When he was able to get into the final third and deliver from wide areas, he looked like a player capable of contributing at a high level in MLS. The question throughout his Galaxy career was whether the rest of his game could catch up to that attacking quality. It never fully did, and that may be part of what makes a move to Liga MX the right next step.
Santos Laguna finished bottom of the Clausura last season and has struggled to recapture the form that made them one of Liga MX’s prominent clubs in the early 2010s. For Cuevas, that context represents an opportunity to play consistent minutes, rebuild his confidence and develop the parts of his game that still need work away from the pressure of defending MLS Cup champions.
He’s a product of one of MLS’s best academies, and carries the foundation of a player who can still make good on the promise he showed coming through the ranks. Santos gives him the chance to find out.