The New England Revolution are in the offseason hoping to create some changes to their roster.
Bruce Arena was tasked with making decisions on declining options and letting players go out of contract. The end product of that process left the team with 24 players rostered.
Free agency, in-league trades, transfers, and the MLS Superdraft are all ways the team can add to that roster.
New England Revolution looking to make some additions
Arena noted in his end-of-season presser:
"“Players that you see…that have guaranteed contracts for next year plus the Option players, there are obviously going to be some trades. We are trying to strengthen our team.”"
From Bruce’s words, it seems the Revs are going to look very different heading into 2023. One of those areas that the Sporting Director will be looking towards is free agency.
On November 16, the chance to go after free agents was opened. Who are the players that the squad will benefit from the most? What positions are the ones of the biggest needs?
New England Revolution free agent targets: Darwin Quintero
At 34, Quintero is still actively making a statement in MLS. He consistently puts his shots on frame and will contribute in any way he can to the team.
In Darwin’s last two seasons in MLS, the multifaceted attacker was able to put a surprising 40 percent of shots on target.
In 2022, for every five shots on target he made, he converted two of them. The ability to turn chances into goals is important for a player like the Columbian maestro who made good on his small amount of minutes the past two years.
Obviously, the Revs have Carles Gil, but Darwin can also fill in the No.10 role. For them, it would be nice to have a backup to the position if Gil ends up injured again. In the past five years in MLS, Quintero had 603 shot-creating actions, along with 74 goal-creating actions! This is all while not consistently being played in the central attacking midfield position. Just last year, along with his eight goals, he added five assists.
The player has presided over free kicks pretty regularly. This would allow players like Gustavo and Carles to take a back seat and get involved in the attack. And the kicker here? Quintero comes at a decent price. In 2022, he made $661,000 guaranteed. If the Revs want someone who can change the attack for the better, I’d look to Quintero in free agency.
New England Revolution free agent targets: Marlon Hairston
Marlon Hairston was most recently a part of the Columbus Crew in 2022. The team found him in excess of their needs because of the ability of Artur in the same position.
Marlon will be 29 years old heading into the 2023 season. He’s currently on a salary of $175,000. If the New England Revolution were just recently looking at Eryk Williamson, they may be looking to bring on a similarly styled player.
He is one of the best deals for youth and price. If the central defensive midfielder returns to the league, he will be heading into a decade of MLS soccer. Knowledgeable about the league, he’ll bring great insight into the position next to Matt Polster.
Hairston was an integral part of the 2021 Columbus Crew season. Within that season, he had the second-highest pass-completed percentage, just behind Darlington Nagbe. He’s the epitome of a 6, with great passing and movement within the middle third. To add to that, his total tackles and interceptions during that season were 70.
The Revs have been looking for some decent depth at the 6 since they got rid of Scott Caldwell. Hairston would be a cheap option to fill in that need.
New England Revolution free agent targets: Michael Barrios
After losing out on the Ismael Tajouri-Shradi deal, it might be worthwhile to check into free agency for another talented winger. Looking towards former FC Dallas and Colorado Rapids attacker, Michael Barrios, could be a good one for a good price. Since joining the league in 2015, the Barrios has been an important player for each squad that he joined. The player has only two seasons under 2,000 minutes across those seven years.
Someone with health and longevity is an important piece of the puzzle for the Revolution. Michael would be someone who could compete for a position on the wing for a full season. The players New England currently have would benefit greatly from that sort of competition.
Barrios has 100 goal contributions across the eight seasons in the MLS regular season. During his time in MLS, the only time he didn’t play for a playoff team was in 2022 and 2017. In the amount of time that Michael has been in the league, while he’s on the field, his team scores more goals than they allow.
With both ITS and Ema Boateng gone, the Revs would enjoy having the former FC Dallas winger bring consistent goal contributions to this team. The team missed that from their attackers since Tajon Buchanan left at the end of 2021. His salary per season was $680,000 in 2022. It might be a little bit more than what they were going to pay Tajouri-Shradi, but definitely worth the increase.
New England Revolution free agent targets: Chris Mavinga
Former Toronto FC’s versatile center-back was let go into free agency this year. Mavinga made $1,037,000 guaranteed in the 2022 season. Chris is currently 31 years of age and has seen few trophies in his time playing. A major plus from his experience, he’s not only a great CB, but can also play left-back. In 2010, he played left back in five out of the six games as the French U-19’s won the U-19 Euros.
He would be an expensive addition but his defensive prowess would be worth the price tag. The staunch defender was at the top of the league for dribblers tackled and also tackles won per 90 minutes. As well, his passing completion percentage doesn’t drop below 85 percent during his time in MLS. The former French youth player knows how to organize a great backline.
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If the Revs are looking to help push other defenders to be their best selves, this move would be a great addition. Chris won the Belgian Pro League with Genk in 2011. He also spent time with the Liverpool FC reserves before that. With Toronto, he won the MLS Cup and Supporters Shield in the same year.
There’s a lot of soccer IQ in that talented brain of his. New England could take that knowledge and use it to make those better around him if they want to spend the money.
New England Revolution free agent targets: Jonathan Osorio
Word has it that Osorio is looking to make a move to Europe. If the Revolution can get him on a TAM contract, it would benefit the team immensely. In 2022, Jonathan was paid $1,026,000 guaranteed. I don’t believe it would be worthwhile for the club to turn him into a Designated Player. Especially with his interest in Europe, it’s possible that he would be looking for a significant increase to stay in MLS.
Although there is doubt that a move is possible for the Revs, it would play to their strengths. Osorio is well-versed in the middle third of the field. He could help fill in if Gil ended up injured but also can play left and right midfielder. In the past five years, the Canadian attacker piled up over 50 goal contributions in just under 9,000 minutes. Just last year, Osorio was second in the league for Goals per shot taken.
New England needs a player who can consistently make a mark on important games like him. Beyond all the goals, Jonathan rarely makes passes that miss. During his entire tenure in Major League Soccer, the attacking midfielder had a passing completion percentage above 85 percent. The Revolution needs a player of his caliber to take some of the pressure off of Carles Gil’s shoulders.
In the end, if a TAM contract is available to the team, Osorio should be 100 percent in the conversation. This fan base has seen several years of Jonathan Osorio and knows what he can do. They would welcome a talent like his with open arms.
Looking into free agency can only help
The New England Revolution would have made use of Sebastian Ibeagha, CJ Sapong, and quite a few other free agents that have come and passed. Since I began writing this, New England added former USMNT striker Bobby Wood on a one-year contract, making him the 25th rostered player. His addition along with a couple of the playmakers on this list would help this team immensely.
If the Revs are to turn things around back to a 2021-type season, they need to create a lot more chances on target. This starts with a fresh look toward the attacking mindset of the team. If they add a new attacker to push others to show out for their contracts, the team will flourish.
Alongside a change in attack, the backline needs a swift kick in the rear end to show up for their Serbian star goalkeeper. If the New England Revolution are able to bring a defender such as Mavinga into this squad, it will provide competition. A healthy struggle to keep spots as the number one or number two center-back can only help this team to greatness.