Hartman to Red Bulls Official, But Not Without a Wrinkle

Kevin Hartman's tweet last night about joining the Red Bulls sort of came out of nowhere. After all, Luis Robles isn't a bad keeper by any means, and Ryan Meara is set to come back soon, too. Plus, they've got a 17-year-old third stringer, who, while he might not be ready for prime time, has some promise.

Hartman got Red Bulls fans worried (well, moreso than they usually are). Is Meara not progressing as expected? Has Robles picked up a knock? Has Head Coach Mike Petke soured on either of his goalkeeping options?

With the team's official announcement, we get some more clarity: Hartman, in addition to joining the team as a player, will work with the club's young goalies -- academy prospects included -- as Goalkeeping Development Manager.

The 38-year-old's long list of accomplishments are included in the team's announcement, but suffice it to say he's won in MLS. A lot. In addition to having more trophies than the entire organization, he's got more playoff wins than the MetroBulls do in their entire history.

UPDATE, 3 P.M., 3/22: For those concerned about Meara's hip, he tweeted this, just now...

Not sure where all this talk about me having a major setback is coming from. For the first time in a long time I'm actually feeling good

— Ryan Meara (@RMeara_18) March 22, 2013