John Hart reportedly played no part in Braves’ rule violations

Major League Baseball is expected to announce the results of its investigation into alleged wrongdoings by the Atlanta Braves front office in the international market and the domestic draft after the completion of the World Series.

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports that when the results are released, they will indicate that President of Baseball Operations John Hart played no part in the violations.

MLB's investigation examined the Braves' internal communications and determined that Coppolella acted without knowledge or approval from Hart or John Schuerholz, the team's vice chairman, the source said. MLB is still trying to determine whether lower-level employees who worked under Coppolella were involved in any of the violations.

Despite that revelation, that may not clear Hart in the ownership’s eyes. Crasnick’s source described Hart’s management style as “disengaged” which is significant given his role as a mentor for departed GM John Coppolella.

Atlanta is reportedly facing sanctions that could include a fine, a loss of future draft picks and a loss of international pool space. Losing current players also would seem to be on the table if in fact they broke rules to sign international prospects but that possibility isn’t mentioned in Crasnick’s report.

The World Series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Tuesday. The Braves will learn their fate soon enough.