Elephant Rumblings: Mets sign catcher Bruce Maxwell

Good morning, Athletics Nation!

It’s a new day, and the 2020 MLB season is still going. The Miami Marlins are fully on pause after a major outbreak on the team, but for now they’re an isolated case and no other club has been affected. We’ll see if that can continue.

In the meantime, there’s still baseball happening, and that means ongoing player transactions. In one of the latest, a former Oakland Athletic found his way back to affiliated ball after a couple years out of the loop. The New York Mets signed catcher Bruce Maxwell to a minor league contract, reported Tim Healey of Newsday on Tuesday.

Of course, Maxwell is currently best known for being the first MLB player to kneel in protest during the national anthem, which he did back in 2017, a year after Colin Kaepernick started the social reform movement in the NFL. No other major leaguer followed suit until this summer. After that 2017 season, he made headlines again when he was arrested for a weapons charge. For more on his history, the only thing you need to read about him is this profile by Howard Bryant of ESPN.

Coming off all that, Maxwell underperformed in 2018 and was let go by the A’s at the end of the year. He hasn’t played in the majors or minors since, but is still just age 29. There are no official minors for him to play in right now, but the point is he’s at least employed by a team again, which is the first step.

Maxwell isn’t the only former Athletic finding a job this week. Reliever Fernando Rodney is nearing a deal with the Houston Astros, reports Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610. The 43-year-old Rodney last played for the Washington Nationals in 2019, with whom he pitched against the Astros in the World Series en route to a championship. The 2020 Astros have recently lost starter Justin Verlander and relievers Ryan Pressly and Joe Biagini from their staff due to injuries.

A’s Coverage:

• Slusser: Another rough night for Khris Davis in A’s loss to Colorado ($)
• Slusser: A’s have a second rotation — in the outfield with Canha, Grossman, Piscotty ($)
• Slusser podcast: Guest is Director of Player Development Ed Sprague
• Gallegos: C-turned-P Weems hits 97 in debut
• Kawahara: A’s bullpen shouldering a heavy load early in season ($)
• Sarris: Will this pitcher usage continue? Featuring the Oakland A’s ($$$)
• Hickey: Last Year’s Struggles Have Carried Over to 2020 for Athletics DH Davis
• Hickey: Arenado and Chapman: Former Teammates Always Putting on a Show
• Matt Chapman and Nolan Arenado are so similar that it’s weird
• Hall: Oakland A’s Series Preview #2: Rockies mount challenge
• Hall: Game #5: A’s pitching can’t surmount Rockies in 8-3 loss
• Buy your Jesús Is My Homeboy T-shirt today!

MLB News, & Interest

• MLB: Marlins won’t play thru Sun.; BAL to play NYY
• McTaggart and Gurnick: Dodgers top Astros in testy ‘17 WS rematch
• Spolane: Astros Near Deal For Fernando Rodney
• Adams: Astros Place Joe Biagini On Injured List, Select Andre Scrubb
• Byrne: Angels Place Andrelton Simmons On IL
• Rosecrans and Rosenthal: Mike Moustakas, Nick Senzel appealing over being held out for COVID-19 concerns ($$$)
• Rosenthal and Stark: As MLB addresses Marlins’ outbreak, more questions arise ($$$)
• Hoynes: Beau Taylor added to Indians 30-man roster
• Cassavell: Tatis homers where few right-handers can
• Adler: Is this rookie the next big star in LA? (Dustin May)
• Today in Baseball History

Yesterday Game Highlights

Tuesday: Loss! Instead of reliving it, here’s some Hat Caper, which is much easier when it’s on your personal screen instead of up on Diamond Vision.

Best of Twitter

Yikes

But this is much more promising

Still, smart move

Final result

Mental blocks are a known thing with Davis, so hopefully he just needs to work past this one

Joe Ross is all of us

Zing