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Reports: Mets Sign Catcher Bruce Maxwell Who Became First MLB Player To Kneel During National Anthem In 2017

(CBSNewYork)- The New York Mets sit at 2-2 after four games of the MLB season and are now bolstering their roster. According to reports, the team has agreed to contract terms with former Oakland A's catcher Bruce Maxwell with the deal pending a physical and COVID-19 intake testing.

The 29-year-old Maxwell has not played in the majors since 2018 when his time in Oakland ended after 18 games that season. He's best known for becoming the first MLB player to take up Colin Kaepernick's protest, taking a knee during the national anthem, to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

Maxwell spoke to ESPN earlier this month about the fact that he believed his protest had kept him out of the majors last season. Now, with players across the league sporting "Black Lives Matter" t-shirts and kneeling prior to the national anthem in a show of support for the movement, Maxwell told ESPN's Howard Bryant he couldn't help but feel a little bitter.

"The season's gonna resume. They're going to get more fame because it's going to look like they're standing up for what's right," Maxwell said to ESPN. "They're making T-shirts and they're showing they care, but they don't go back to the original sacrificed person. Where was all of this then? It's easy to talk because everyone's talking. I was out there by myself. I'm bitter as f---, and I'm not hiding it."

Maxwell's protest in 2017 drew the ire of many, as at the time some, including Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, said that they would "have a problem" with anyone kneeling during the national anthem because it was seen as disrespectful to the military. However, Maxwell, the son of a military man himself, pointed out in 2017 that his protest was not in any way meant as disrespect towards the nation's troops.

"This goes beyond the black and Hispanic communities because right now we have a racial divide that's being practiced from the highest power we have in this country, saying it's basically OK to treat people differently,'' said Maxwell to media in 2017. "I'm kneeling for a cause but I'm in no way disrespecting my country or my flag."

On the field, Maxwell did struggle in 2017 and '18 posting a .226 batting average across 274 at bats in those two seasons with four homers and 28 RBI. The Mets currently have two catchers on their roster in Wilson Ramos and Tomas Nido.

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