Former A's catcher Bruce Maxwell, who was the first MLB player to take a knee during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality in 2017, reportedly has agreed to a minor-league deal with the New York Mets.
Newsday's Tim Healey was first with the report.
Maxwell spent three seasons with the A's from 2016-18, and had a couple of seasons in the Mexican and Dominican Winter Leagues since then. He also had a chance to return to MLB during spring training with the A's when, at the time, the team's depth at catcher was minimal. He turned that offer down stating he didn't want to "be a charity case."
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SIGN UP HERE After Maxwell first knelt in 2017, he received backlash including death threats stating he was "miserable" after.
He would later make headlines a few months later when he was arrested at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct after he allegedly pointed a gun at a food delivery worker.
[RELATED: Mark Canha sometimes wishes he knelt with Maxwell]
Maxwell has grown since then, and told NBC Sports Bay Area he "felt joy" after seeing Giants players and manager Gabe Kapler take a knee during the A's-Giants exhibition series last week.
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His new contract with the Mets is pending a physical and passing the coronavirus intake testing.
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