Ex-Braves GM John Coppolella banned; team loses top prospect

— -- Former Braves general manager John Coppolella has been placed on baseball's permanently ineligible list. Atlanta will lose one of its top prospect as part of MLB's penalties against the team for rules violations in the international market.

Commissioner Rob Manfred ruled that the Braves must forfeit 13 international prospects, including Kevin Maitan.

MLB announced the penalties Tuesday in a statement written by Manfred.

Atlanta must forfeit Maitan, Juan Contreras, Yefri del Rosario, Abrahan Gutierrez, Juan Carlos Negret, Yenci Pe?a, Yunior Severino, Livan Soto, Guillermo Zuniga, Brandol Mezquita, Angel Rojas, Antonio Sucre and Ji Hwan Bae.

All 13 players will become free agents and are eligible to sign with any team. Manfred also announced that the Braves have been prohibited from signing prospect Robert Puason.

Former Braves special assistant Gordon Blakeley will be suspended for one year and won't be allowed to work for any team 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," Manfred said in a statement. "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."

Coppolella lasted only two seasons as Atlanta's GM before being forced to resign last month after MLB announced its investigation.