The motives of Hunter Strickland and Bryce Harper were clear. Buster Posey remains the mystery man in Monday’s brawl between the Nationals and Giants.

As Harper charged after Strickland, following a fastball to the hip, Posey merely stared at Harper — a fellow MVP winner and teammate on several NL All-Star teams — and allowed him an unimpeded path to the relief pitcher for a helmet throw (that went laughably awry) and several wild roundhouses.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know,” a Giants player said when asked by Fox Sports about what Posey was thinking at the time. 

There have been several theories floated: 1) Posey let Harper go because he thought Strickland was in the wrong; 2) Strickland, who has a history with Harper, wanted to fight him and told Posey to stand down (a source told this to Fox Sports); 3) He simply spaced.

“Well, I mean, after it happened, I kind of saw Harper’s point,” Posey told reporters. “Next thing you know, he’s going out after him. Those are some big guys tumbling around on the ground. You see [Giants first baseman] Mike Morse, is about as big as they come, and he was getting knocked around like a pinball. So … be a little dangerous to get in there sometimes.”

Posey has a concussion history, and the Giants losing him would be catastrophic for a season already on the brink. Still, it was an unusual sight to watch a catcher so indifferent to a teammate under attack.