Maxwell nears resolution to his legal issues

A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell is moving closer to a possible resolution to his legal troubles before Oakland’s pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Feb. 14.

The Chronicle has learned that Maxwell has a settlement conference scheduled for Feb. 12 in Phoenix, which means the state is willing to discuss a plea deal for the 27-year-old.

Maxwell was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 7 on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct after allegedly pointing a gun at a fooddelivery person on Oct. 28 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

His trial date, initially set for April 10, has been rescheduled for Aug. 9 should the sides be unable to come to a resolution before then.

“Right now, Bruce is focusing on spring training and getting ready for the season,” said attorney Rhonda Neff, who with Michael Kimerer is representing Maxwell. “We’re working toward finding a resolution.”

Those with knowledge of the case have expected a plea deal to be reached before spring training. A’s executives have said throughout the offseason that they believed Maxwell would be fully available for spring training and the regular season despite the looming court case.

Maxwell, who is going into the season as the A’s top catcher for the first time, gained national attention in September when he became the first, and to date only, majorleague player to kneel during the national anthem. Maxwell said he was supporting NFL players and others who had done so in order to protest the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement. Stewart a spring instructor: A’s pitchers will have a tremendous resource at their disposal this spring: Dave Stewart, one of the most intimidating pitchers in modern baseball, will be a guest instructor for the team.

Stewart, 60, was a ferocious competitor who had four consecutive 20-plus win seasons for the A’s from 1987-90 and went 119-78 with a 3.73 ERA in his eight years with the team. He thrived in the postseason, going 10-6 with a 2.77 ERA in 22 appearances, including 18 starts. He was the MVP of the 1989 World Series as well as the ALCS MVP in 1990 and 1993.

Oakland’s rebuilding efforts center around the team’s core of young players, including pitchers A.J. Puk, the A’s top pick in the 2016 draft, and Logan Shore.

Stewart has had a variety of baseball roles since retiring as a player. He has been a pitching coach, a player agent and a front-office executive — including two years as Arizona’s general manager.

Stewart currently is an analyst on the A’s pregame and postgame TV broadcasts. He also was part of a group, headed up by Tagg Romney, that last year made a bid to by the Miami Marlins.