Bruce Maxwell pleads not guilty; A's GM still expects him to be starting catcher

Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwellpleaded not guilty Tuesday inMaricopa County (Arizona) Superior Court to charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct.

He is next due in court on Dec. 28 for a pretrial hearing.

Athletics general manager David Forst said from the GM meetings in Orlando, Florida, that he still expects Maxwell to be the team's starting catcher in 2018.

"I don't want to talk about the off-field stuff right now. We'll let the criminal proceedings play out. But from a baseball standpoint, I expect Bruce to be our catcher next year," Forst said Tuesday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

According to Scottsdale police, Maxwell showed signs of intoxication when he was arrested Oct. 28. He is accused of pointing a handgun at the head of a woman who had delivered food to his Scottsdale residence.

Maxwell, 26, has denied pointing the gun at the delivery person.

Maxwell hit .237 with three home runs and 22 RBIs last season in 76 games.

He made headlines last season as the only player in Major League Baseball to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice in the United States.