If one team does it, it doesn't mean much. When a lot of teams do it, concurrently, salaries could go down.
Tell me that would have happened five years ago. Ridiculous? Fine. Yet they were unilaterally congratulated for the way they handled that draft. They overpaid that slot. Dismiss it all you like, but they overpaid that slot. Then why do you pretend it doesn't count? Would you slap him on the back if went back in time and forced Drayton to do it, then?? Would you rather he *not* be doing what "all successful franchises are already doing?? WTF?? Top 14. But nice one-liner. Well, that's true. Perhaps I am guilty of being too happy the Astros aren't where they were. ...and we used some of it in trade!!!!!!! I think you posted a pretty relevant article to this discussion over in the other thread. It was a good read. Your point is that the Astros left money on the table in international signings and you feel they should have gone after more talent there. I'm saying they've spend loads of money in other places." I'm not throwing the "cheap" label around based on one season of international draft signings. Especially with the light years' improvement over the end of Drayton's tenure, and with the fact that so far Crane's Astros are doing precisely what they said they would.