Maitan could be declared a free agent upon the conclusion of MLB's investigation into improprieties regarding his signing in 2016, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports.
Former Braves general manager John Coppolella, who resigned Monday, seems to have disregarded many rules during his tenure, and his pursuit of Maitan might be the most well-known of these alleged violations. The Braves seem to have had an agreement in place with Maitan from when he was only 14 years old, and he was essentially working as a Braves prospect in Florida for many months before he was eligible to sign July 2, 2016. Maitan is a prized switch-hitting shortstop/third base prospect, and would be greatly sought after if he were put back on the market. He hit .220/.273/.323 with two home runs and 39 strikeouts in 33 games as a 17-year-old in the Appalachian League, but has as much power and batting average upside as any prospect who has not yet played in a full-season league.