NL East Enemies: 2017 Atlanta Braves

[Benjamin Grimm]

If the Braves signed any players illegally, any teams interested in those players should put their name in a hat...

[seawolf17]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: If the Braves signed any players illegally, any teams interested in those players should put their name in a hat...

Pfft. Like THAT ever works out.

[Frayed Knot]

I'm not up on all the details of this deal with the Braves and them supposedly skirting the int'l signing caps or whatever, but it just shows that when you put artificial limits on what folks are permitted
to spend, or earn, or accumulate, those same folks tend to look for ways to get past such boundaries.
I believe there are a number of college hoops coaches who could tell you all about that and soon may be required to tell some judges and juries all about it.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

This is a pretty explosive article. Though nothing's proven yet, this guy seems to be universally viewed as an asshole and a cheat, and seems that some high-profile signees could be set free from the org. https://sports.yahoo.com/john-coppolellas-resignation-just-start-atlanta-braves-problems-230643724.html

[Frayed Knot]

It sounds like from that article that at least one of the schemes was to spread out signing bonus money to a number of int'l players who are all connected to the same agent so that it doesn't look like
they're busting the spending limits on any one of them but with the understanding that the agent then steers the majority of the cash to the two or three top players even though their 'paper bonus'
remains low.

Like I said, you put artificial limits on things and folks will devise ways to circumvent them.

[Edgy MD]

It looks like the Braves will be forced to give up at least a few of their international free agents.

I'd love to celebrate the Braves bad fortune, but it seems silly to me, with MLB turning into the NCAA and worse — building labyrinthine and tortuous rules to keep organizations from having the audacity to spend their money on talented players, forcing the teams to hire extra personnel to find sophisticated paths around those rules, and publicly humiliating them if and when they get caught trying to do just that.

Just let teams sign players. It's bloody easy.

[Frayed Knot]

This is a pretty explosive article. Though nothing's proven yet, this guy seems to be universally viewed as an asshole and a cheat, and seems that some high-profile signees could be set free from the org. https://sports.yahoo.com/john-coppolellas-resignation-just-start-atlanta-braves-problems-230643724.html

Banned for Life!!


Excerpts from Manfred's statement: "The investigation established that the Braves circumvented international signing rules from 2015 through 2017. ... As a result of the 2015-16 circumvention, the Braves were able to sign nine high-value players during the 2016-17 signing period who would have been unavailable to them had the Club accurately accounted for its signings during the 2015-16 signing period.
"With respect to individual discipline, former Braves General Manager John Coppolella will be placed on the permanently ineligible list, effective immediately. Former Braves Special Assistant Gordon Blakeley will be suspended for a period of one year, effective immediately, and may not perform services for any MLB Club during his suspension. I intend to discipline other Braves' International Baseball Operations employees who participated in the misconduct after the completion of our internal procedures. My staff will speak to the Players Association and officials in the Dominican Republic regarding appropriate consequences for the representatives of the players who intentionally participated in schemes to circumvent our rules, none of whom are certified by the Players Association."

[Centerfield]

Cool. He can hang out with Jennry Mejia.

[Edgy MD]

How can the Braves be perhaps THE model of a baseball organization from 1990 to 2007, under John Schuerholz and Bobby Cox, and then after promoting Schuerholz to president, make pretty much every wrong move possible?

I half think that teams trying to swing new stadium deals take their eyes off of baseball matters at a certain level, and foxes get into the henhouse. And maybe the backscratching ethic that surrounds such deals starts to permeate the business.

That's probably more than half bullshit, but it's a notion that occurred to me.

Anyhow, relegate the Braves! Promote the AAA championship game winner Durham Bulls!

[nymr83]

Edgy MD wrote: I'd love to celebrate the Braves bad fortune, but

I'm happy to dismantle the draft tommorow. As soon as we are done punishing the Braves today.