Why was John Coppolella banned from the MLB?

Former Atlanta Braves General Manager John Coppolella has been reinstated by the MLB. The former front office executive for the Braves received a lifetime ban from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in the fall of 2017. Now, over five years later, the 44-year-old has been reinstated by the MLB.

"A mere five years ago, in the aftermath of John Coppollela's ban, people talked about the culture of the Braves being fractured. Alex Anthopolous came in and flipped the script almost immediately. It's something people want to be a part of, and for a long time." - Aaron Rosser

Coppolella received a lifetime ban from Manfred and the MLB after the league determined that he grossly violated the rules regarding international signings. Aside from violating international signing rules, Coppolella was under fire for cutting illicit pre-draft deals and for tampering with players on other teams.

During the investigations, Major League Baseball checked into all aspects of the Atlanta Braves organization. Not only did the league investigate their international operations, but their domestic draft as well. Coppolella's treatment of Braves employees was also under review.

"Let's travel to 2017..and check with other teams illegal activity. Let's focus on n Braves...John Coppollela banned for life...Braves STRIPPED OF 13 Prospects LMAO" - RoadRunner

According to various sources, MLB officials determined that John Coppolella made substantial moves to improve himself, which led to reinstatement by the league.

An MLB spokesman told The Athletic, "We can confirm that Mr. Coppolella has been reinstated, given more than five years he spent on the ineligible list, the contrition he expressed and the other steps he took in response to this matter."

The announcement comes just months after MLB and Rob Manfred decided not to reinstate disgraced Cincinnati Reds legend, Pete Rose. Rose received a lifetime ban for gambling on baseball games while managing the Reds.

A look at key moves made by John Coppolella during his tenure with the Atlanta Braves

Several key players in the Atlanta Braves organization were acquired during Coppolella's time as General Manager. The team moved Justin Upton to the San Diego Padres for Max Fried, Jace Peterson, Dustin Peterson, and Mallex Smith. As well as flipping Shelby Miller to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair.

John Coppolella not only signed Ronald Acuna Jr. as an international free agent but also acquired the draft pick who would become future superstar Austin Riley. Though Coppolella broke the rules, he did set the foundation for the Braves' 2021 World Series championship.