The MLS champion Galaxy traded center back Jalen Neal to Montreal on Monday for $650,000 in general allocation money. It is the second significant trade the team has made since winning the MLS Cup a month ago, following the December move that send midfielder Gastón Brugman, the most valuable player of the championship game, to Nashville.
But the latest trade comes as a surprise given Neal’s age — he’s 21 — and his club-friendly salary, which paid him $178,625 last season, his second with the team. Hours after news of the trade was leaked, Neal was called up to the national team for its January training camp.