I have seen a lot of comments about how the Pirates will not be able to continue putting together such a strong system because they are no longer drafting the the top five. I think the idea that this farm system is built totally on high draft picks is no longer true though. It was actually something else that helped build it and let's look at the top 10 prospects to get a better idea. Don't pay too much attention to the order, this is just coming off the top of my head on how some have ranked these guys.
1. Jameson Taillon - The only top 5 pick in this list Taillon is hopefully the last of these types of picks we see in the majors for quite some time. The best example remaining of the Pirates getting a talent because of how bad they were.
2. Gregory Polanco - Polanco was an international signing and actually a relatively cheap one at that. Call it luck, good scouting, improved facilities or whatever else this is the type of signing that can continue moving forward.
3. Alen Hanson - Hanson falls under the same category as Polanco. These types of players need to continue to arrive for the system to remain strong.
4. Tyler Glanow - A 5th round draft pick who signed well over slot but nothing too crazy. This type of pick can still be made but you have to shift money around a bit with the new draft rules. This method is still an option but some of the advantages to this have been removed.
5. Austin Meadows - A top 10 pick which was the result of the first collapse (or whatever you'd like to call it).
6. Reese McGuire - Ok now you get a draft pick that came smack in the middle of the first round. So they were able to acquire solid talent even when not having an awful team.
7. Luis Heredia - Another international signing that had nothing to do with the team being bad but rather with them spending money. Unlike Hanson and Polanco this really was about the cash. With new restrictions on international signings this deal might be tougher moving forward.
8. Nick Kingham - A 4th round draft pick that was over slot but much like Glasnow it wasn't crazy money and something they can continue to do moving forward.
9. Josh Bell - A 2nd round pick and definitely not a move they will be able to do moving forward because of the spending limitations.
10. You could put a lot of guys here like Barrett Barnes or Harold Ramirez or many other players. All either acquired as international free agents or later draft picks.
So in conclusion only two of the players currently in the farm system were top 10 picks and one of those was off of a season with a win total in the 70's. I think the bigger issue is the five or six years ago the Pirates decided they were going to throw money at the problem and that is what really helped to add depth to the system. That option now has major limitations. This farm system was built by identifying talent and doing what it took to acquire as many guys as possible, not just picking early in the draft. High draft picks sure helped out the current MLB ball club but not really with the farm system some are saying is the best in baseball.
Of course now the issue is the Pirates are not drafting high AND they cannot outspend other teams to stockpile players. It will be interesting to see how they adapt to this new situation.