Former Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella has been banned for life by Major League Baseball in a punishment that stems from multiple violations in the international market.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a statement Tuesday announcing Coppolella's ban, via MLB.com's Mark Feinsand:
In addition to Coppolella's lifetime ban, former Braves special assistant Gordon Blakely was suspended one year.
Manfred also announced 12 players the Braves signed illegally during the 2015-17 international free-agent period have been released from their contracts, making them eligible to sign with any team. The Braves are prohibited from signing any international players for more than $10,000 during the 2019-20 window, and their international signing bonus pool in 2020-21 will be cut by 50 percent.