Unclear future for catcher Maxwell
LAS VEGAS — Catcher Bruce Maxwell, who in 2017 became the only major-league player to take a knee during the national anthem, remains unsigned after the A’s let him go and might not find work in the majors again, several sources said.
Maxwell, who turns 28 next week, was arrested on assault and gun charges in Scottsdale, Ariz., after pulling a gun on a fast-food delivery worker in October 2017, and he agreed to a plea deal last summer in exchange for a reduced charge of disorderly conduct.
The arrest came the month after Maxwell had knelt during the national anthem in order to protest racial injustice. Maxwell, who grew up in a military family, placed his
hand over his heart during the anthem and made it clear in subsequent comments that he has respect for the flag and the military, but he wanted to highlight issues of inequality, in solidarity with the NFL players who were doing the same.
“It’s the kneeling thing that might keep him from getting another job, not the arrest,” one major-league executive told The Chronicle as the winter meetings concluded Thursday. “Owners aren’t going to want to deal with that whole anthem issue.”
Maxwell did not kneel for the anthem during the 2018 season, and teams have voiced as much concern about his arrest as his kneeling, according to a source. Particularly at issue was the antipolice sentiment that Maxwell voiced in a video of his arrest released by the Scottsdale police department.
“This is not a Colin Kaepernick situation,” said a source, referring to the former 49ers quarterback’s inability to find an NFL job after choosing to kneel for the anthem. “This is if Colin Kaepernick had knelt for the anthem and also been arrested for a gun crime.”
Another concern, related to Maxwell’s decision to kneel, was an incident at a Huntsville, Ala., restaurant in October 2017. Maxwell told the Athletic that a member of the waitstaff had refused to serve him because he had not stood up for the national anthem; the server told TMZ that Maxwell had misportrayed what transpired and that one of Maxwell’s friends did not have identification, so was not allowed to order alcohol. A city councilman in Maxwell’s party backed Maxwell’s version of events, with the restaurant sticking by the server.
Matt Sosnick, the Bay Areabased agent who represented Maxwell until Maxwell fired him Thursday, said he “spent a lot of time explaining (Maxwell’s) point of view to GMs.”
“He obviously believes that another agent would be more successful in finding him a job,” said Sosnick, who said he spoke to every team at least twice in his effort to land Maxwell a minor-league deal. “It’s absolutely Bruce’s prerogative to be represented by another company and, quite frankly, it takes a lot of pressure off of me.”
The A’s stuck with Maxwell through his legal issues and planned for him to be the everyday catcher in 2018. But when he came to spring training overweight and then under-performed, they signed Jonathan Lucroy as a free agent in March. Maxwell played in 18 games with Oakland last season and hit .182; he was demoted in June and did not return.
He had a .219 average with one homer and 17 RBIs in 51 games at Triple-A Nashville, and he struck out 61 times in 200 plate appearances.
“I just don’t see him as a fit for us,” one National League scout said Thursday. “He’s on the older side and there is too much baggage. He might have to play independent ball to try to work his way back.”
Maxwell did not return a text seeking comment.
“He’s a good player, a good offensive and defensive player when he is at his best,” said Sosnick, who in past years often had put up Maxwell in his home in Danville. “I hope his new agent has better luck than I did.”
Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser