The Braves will be looking for a general manager as they start their offseason, as John Coppolella resigned Monday afternoon. The resignation comes as a result of Coppolella breaching MLB rules regarding the international player market, the Braves have announced, so Coppolella won't be finding another job with any MLB clubs any time soon.
"Major League Baseball is investigating the matter with our full cooperation and support," said Braves president of baseball operations John Hart. "We will not be issuing any further comment until the investigation is complete."
Coppolella has served as the general manager of the club for the past two seasons. Ever since he was elevated to No. 2 in charge under Hart in 2014 -- first as assistant GM before being promoted to GM -- the Braves have undergone a massive rebuild. They have a great foundation of young talent and farm system as a result, but it's not as if Coppolella was without his mistakes.
One mistake that sticks out in particular was that three-team, 13-player trade where the Braves dealt Alex Wood and Jose Peraza and got back Hector Olivera. Olivera was later dumped while the Braves took on Matt Kemp's salary.
On the flip-side, dealing Shelby Miller for Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte and Aaron Blair was a coup.
Still, Coppolella violating MLB rules when it comes to international players is unforgivable, so he's out for good. Keep in mind that it was just over a month ago that reports indicated there were issues in the Braves' front office.
The Braves have said that they have already started a search for a new GM.
