Stunner: Coppolella resigns as Braves General Manager

ATLANTA - In a stunning announcement, Atlanta Braves General Manager John Coppolella resigned his position Monday over a breach of Major League Baseball rules.

In a news release, the Braves said Coppolella had resigned, effective immediately “as a result of a breach of Major League Baseball rules regarding the international player market."

In the release, Braves President of Baseball Operations John Hart said, “Major League Baseball is investigating the matter with our full cooperation and support. We will not be issuing any further comment until the investigating is complete.”

Coppolella became the team’s general manager after the 2015 season and oversaw along with Hart a massive overall of the organization’s farm system which included the trading of one-time All-Stars Craig Kimbrel, Jason Heyward, and Justin Upton to bring in highly regarded prospects.

The resignation comes the day after the 2017 season ended for the Braves who finished with a 72-90 record, only 4 games better than 2016.

The news release states the organization will begin an immediate search for Coppolella’s replacement, and Hart will perform the GM duties until a replacement is named.