ESPN has reported that the Atlanta Braves GM John Coppolella has resigned on Monday after MLB opened an investigation to look into whether the franchise broke international signing rules. The Braves have also confirmed the information on their Twitter account while releasing a statement in which the team gave further details about the issue.
Atlanta Braves General Manager John Coppolella has resigned from his position, effective immediately. The resignation comes as a result of a breach of Major League Baseball rules regarding the international player market.
“Major League Baseball is investigating the matter with our full cooperation and support,” said John Hart, Braves President of Baseball Operations. “We will not be issuing any further comment until the investigation is complete.”
The organization will begin an immediate search for Coppolella’s replacement and Hart will perform the GM duties until a replacement is named.
According to sources, the breach of international signing rules was discovered by MLB in a much larger investigation on Coppolella that also included Atlanta’s domestic draft practices and Coppolella’s treatment of team employees.
John Coppolella, 38 years old, has started his career in the MLB taking the internship with the New York Yankees. He previously turned down the job offer from Intel. After 6 years with the Yankees (2000-2006), Coppolella became a director of baseball operations for the Atlanta Braves. He held the position until 2011 when he served as a director of professional scouting. In 2012, Coppolella assumed the role of assistant general manager, before being named Braves’ general manager in 2015 and signing a 4-year deal.
Under Coppolella, the Braves didn’t grow into the winning franchise, but that time should come sooner than later. He is credited with building one of the best farm systems in the world of sport and building up a roster that secured the future of the franchise.
