Report: Braves to lose top prospect Maitan for violating signing rules

Major League Baseball is reportedly set to declare highly regarded Atlanta Braves prospect Kevin Maitan a free agent as part of the punishments levied against them for violating international signing rules, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

Three other prospects signed by the Braves alongside Maitan in 2016 - catcher Abraham Gutierrez, second baseman Yunior Severino, and right-hander Juan Contreras - will also be granted free agency, Ben Badler of Baseball America reported.

Full details of the punishments are expected to be announced Tuesday, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Maitan, 17, was signed by the Braves in July 2016 for a $4.25-million bonus. The Venezuelan teenager has drawn comparisons to Miguel Sano and Miguel Cabrera and is ranked the Braves' No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Gutierrez received a $3.5-million bonus to join the Braves last year; among the Braves' 2016 international signings, only Maitan received a higher bonus. The 18-year-old is ranked as the organization's No. 30 prospect, and hit .264/.319/.357 in 35 games with the Braves' Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2017.

Severino, 17, received a $1.9-million bonus from Atlanta last July, while the 18-year-old Contreras signed for $1.2-million. Neither player is ranked among the Braves' top 30 prospects.

The Braves are expected to be hit with multiple prospect losses from their international signings as part of the punishments for the signing scandal, which forced then-general manager John Coppolella and one of his assistants to resign in October. Badler previously reported that MLB was planning to meet with prospects involved in the rulings Tuesday.

Atlanta spent almost $17 million on illegal bonuses during the 2016 international signing period that included Maitan, a source told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.