As everyone knows, the Cardinals traded Colby Rasmus for a couple of players who will be free agents and likely generate draft pick compensation (Edwin Jackson and Octavio Dotel). They also had possible Free Agents who would also generate more draft picks in Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman. Mo was able to bring Berkman back, but now the team is looking at 4 draft picks due to compensation, the 1st and 2nd round picks we already have, as well as a possible extra pick somewhere at the end of the first or second round due to the small market/lousy team lottery. That is 7 total picks available next June in the first 2.5 rounds.

With the recent drafts the Cardinals have had, I would consider this to be a great opportunity to really put the farm system over the top, however, with Jeff Luhnow calling the shots in Houston, will the Cardinals be able to continue their excellent drafts? Part of the success of recent drafts was the Cardinals ability to spend money on tougher signs and get greater value from the back end of the draft (Shelby Miller). With the new slotting system, this doesn't seem feasible. Does the front office still have people in place to make the draft day decisions to be successful? Will the extra picks enable the Cardinals to find the talent equivalent to Colby Rasmus (can't say Pujols because that is too big of an expectation)? Does the new draft setup force teams to be that much better at drafting the best players available? Every year you see teams draft duds and take chances on players who could be the next superstar but never quite put it together. Is luck going to count more than ever now?

All of these things are concerns I have going forward without Jeff Luhnow. Am I giving Luhnow too much credit for turning the farm system around, or will the pipeline of talent continue to produce without him?

I don't have the answers to this, but is this a valid concern? I know there is not a lot of player analysis here, but I hope there will be some good discussion on the topic(s).