The Mets have signed Bruce Maxwell to a minor league contract per Tim Healey of Newsday. Maxwell is probably best known for taking a knee during the National Anthem back in 2017 when he played with the Oakland Athletics.
When Maxwell took a knee, he said the following to reporters: “My hand was over my heart because I love this country. I’ve had plenty of family members, including my father, that have bled for this country, that continue to serve for this country.”
As for his on the field production, Maxwell is not known for being an impactful hitter. In 2017, he hit .237/.329/.333 with 3 homers and an 85 wRC+ over 253 plate appearances. Maxwell’s glove is not great either but the Mets could definitely use catchers with MLB experience. Maxwell played in the Mexican League last year and he hit .325/.407/.559 with 24 homers (but only a 126 wRC+ so it was an offense-heavy league).
Maxwell will probably report to Brooklyn in the coming days (assuming he passes all the protocols). Wilson Ramos, Rene Rivera, and Tomas Nido are the catcher with the Mets currently. Patrick Mazeika, Ali Sanchez, and David Rodriguez are the catchers in Brooklyn.
If anything should happen to Rivera, Nido, or Ramos, it would be a safe assumption that Maxwell would be the next man up.
