Mets: An inside look at the four catchers invited to Spring Training

With his legal troubles over, Bruce Maxwell is seeking to reboot his major league career with the Mets.

Bruce Maxwell is the only veteran in the group of catchers that were invited. A second-round pick back in 2012, he spent three years with the Oakland Athletics organization, arriving in the big leagues first in 2016. What earned him a promotion to the big leagues was his strong offensive performance in Triple-A Nashville. Prior to his promotion, Maxwell batted .321 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI in over 60 games. He continued hitting reasonably well with Oakland that season, compiling a .283/.337/.402 batting line over 32 games.

However, his offense gradually diminished over the next couple of seasons with the Athletics. In his last season with the Athletics, Maxwell compiled a .182/.207/.309 batting line with one home run and six RBI. He also had an off-field issue that placed him in legal trouble. Coupled with his underwhelming performance in 2018, it was no surprise that the Athletics made the decision to cut him loose.

However, Maxwell earned himself another opportunity with the Acereros de Monclova, and he made the most of it. He rediscovered his offense, compiling a batting average of .325 while clobbering 24 home runs and 112 RBI. Although the Mexican Baseball League is not at the same level as the major leagues, his performance internationally was noticed by several big league teams, including the New York Mets, who Maxwell ended up signing with.

Maxwell will get an opportunity to convince the Mets to bring him aboard as the team’s third catcher. The key for Maxwell will be to show the Mets that his rejuvenated offense was not simply an aberration, but a sign that he fixed what was ailing him and is once again the player the A’s drafted back in 2012.