50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
You can probably thank the loss of international picks for that. If AA makes a big-time trade and it turns out terribly for Atlanta, it could be devastating for the farm system. I totally get and agree with the sentiment but I'm guessing that's part of the thinking.
The penalties are starting to show up a bit. We still have a nice set of prospects, but with the loss of the 2020 minor league season for a lot of them, it's difficult to tell what the true depth of the system is. I think the going the over-slot route with a lot of post-10th round guys in 2019 was a reaction to the international penalties and we'll see how that turns out.
It is kind of hilarious--in a gallows humor sense--to see all of the guys the Braves lost through the international penalties showing up on the Rule 5 eligible list. They are all so far away that no one will draft them, but it's amazing how time has flown by on that scandal. It seems like just yesterday.