Atlanta Braves the day after the scandal
By Fred Owens
Yesterday news broke that John Coppolella resigned due to a breach of MLB’s international signing rules. As the day wore on reports came in detailing dislike for Coppolella by his peers and portending doom for the farm system he built.
The most prominent worry for Atlanta Braves fans seemed to become the potential loss of Kevin Maitan. The second point of discussion became Coppolella’s replacement. After a couple of hours sleep I’ve concluded some perspective is needed.
What’s the breach
Speculation and rumor abound over yesterday’s revelations but facts are few. Ken Rosenthal writing for The Athletic (subscription required and recommended) presents what’s known.
- Agreements with under age players is forbidden but common place. MLB has tried to crack down on it but they’ve been unsuccessful so far
- As many as 15 teams are said to have agreements with under age players not eligible to sign until 2019
Regarding the Braves specifically he says:
- Coppolella is under scrutiny for domestic and international issues but “98 % are international
- MLB learned on alleged violations in the Maitan signing last Friday but “initial findings showed no impropriety.” This could change or course.
Rosenthal The Complicated State of Haitian-Dominicans they talk to a buscon named JD Ozuna about Roberto Puason. Puason won’t turn 16 until 2019 but is said to be as good now as Miguel Sano was at 16.
It’s not unusual for him to be on a teams radar. The bad part is that Rosenthal reports his sources say “the Atlanta Braves allegedly reached a verbal agreement with him (Puason).
That’s a clear violation of every rule in the book. It appears this investigation could turn into something that ruins more careers and has far-reaching implications.
Coppolella's breach of international rules is "the tip of the iceberg,'' said one source. MLB looking into infractions in multiple areas.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) October 2, 2017
Jeff Passan adds other issues in his piece from Monday
- Player tampering – contacting agents about their players while the player is under contract elsewhere
- Confirms bundling of international amateur signing bonuses it. . .“significantly bigger” . . than Red Sox in 2015
- anonymous complaints levied with the league charging under-the-table benefits for one draft pick and pre-draft deals with prospects
- a report that he offered Drew Waters a car to make up for a $125K gap between what he could offer ($1.5M) and slot ($1.675M)
Boy, that’s some car. I digress