Andy Carroll to the Revolution as second DP signing?

Will the Man Bun come to Gillette? According to a report from NBC Sports’ ProSoccerTalk, it’s entirely possible.

A source has told NBC Sports that current West Ham United striker Andy Carroll is being linked with a move to Major League Soccer this summer, with the Revolution mentioned as a possible landing spot for the former English international.

Brad Friedel has noted in the past — the latest instance coming on Sunday, Mar. 24 in the wake of New England’s 2-0 loss to FC Cincinnati — that he would like to bring in a player from Europe to bolster the squad. During his post-match press conference, he noted they are in negotiations “every day” to see when the European club in question will release the targeted player from his contract.

Carroll’s six-year contract is up at the end of the current English season, and WHU manager Manuel Pellegrini isn’t expected to re-sign him. He has only played 14 games for the Hammers this season and only 84 out of a possible 266 since he signed in 2013. He has had a recent ankle surgery thanks to a recurring injury which has kept him sidelined since February, ruling him out of the rest of the Premier League campaign.

West Ham is currently 11th in the Premier League with 42 points. While top six is out of the question with five matches to play — Manchester United has 61 points with a match in hand — getting to seventh and the potential of continental football next season thanks to Manchester City’s quadruple title run is still within the real of possibility. Only five points separate the East London side with 7th-place Leicester City.

A good run of form by the Hammers, who play Manchester United on Saturday, in the final month of the English campaign can help.

BSJ Analysis

Well, now. Is this the answer to all the riddles that we've heard about since the Season Members event in early February? Sadly, I think there are more questions to ask.

Carroll would be a huge signing, indeed, should it happen; the Revs traditionally do not comment on rumor, so I’m not going to waste my time and ask if the rumors/transfer speculation is true. He would be the second designated player — and would be, hands down, the biggest impact signing the Revolution have ever made.

But he would be a tremendous gamble, a gamble which -- if it fails -- should cost certain people their jobs.

Playing-wise, he’s fantastic: he is a classic forward with height — he’s 6-foot-4 — pace, and scoring ability (79 goals for four clubs), once considered one of the best strikers in the English top flight. His ability to change a game in Major League Soccer would be an incredible asset for Friedel’s side; seriously, outside of double-teaming him a la what happened to Jermaine Jones in 2014, and what’s happening to Cristian Penilla now, I don’t believe that MLS sides would know what to do against him defensively.

Let’s take a quick step back, though: Carroll is currently not playing due to his ankle injury, on which he has had a recent surgery. He would be well worth his wages (currently £90,000 a week) if he can score goals on his return, and if he can stay healthy — and that’s a big if for most of his career in England. He’s had a laundry list of injuries, mainly orthopedic, but also a couple of groin injuries thrown in.

And like I need to remind you… Gillette Stadium has turf instead of natural grass. Turf isn’t forgiving, especially to players with injury problems. Last year, Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn’t make the trip to Foxborough due to the turf, according to what the late Sigi Schmid told me on that night (after playing 19 minutes in Portland six days prior, and Providence Park has the exact same stuff as Gillette). David Beckham and Thierry Henry famously didn’t want to play on it.

While I’m all for bringing in a quality player to the side — and don’t get me wrong, Carroll is quality, when healthy — let me repeat this for you: he’s coming off ankle surgery. Will he be fit enough to play the last few months of the season, once he recovers from his current situation?

And what’s the back-up plan should he get hurt again?

And yes, I know… injuries happen all the time. That happens. But the Revolution, though... they have been burned when it comes to injuries and designated players — hey, that’s Xavier Kouassi calling on Line 1 — so color me questionable about this.

If he can stay healthy, he would no doubt be a great acquisition if he can get the Revs into the playoffs. If he gets hurt again — and hey, call me an ass for saying this: we can pretty much set our watch to it happening — there would be a lot of second-guessing about acquiring a player with such a massive injury history readily available at one’s fingertips.