The Washington Nationals signed Edwin Jackson today to a one-year make-good deal worth somewhere around eight figures, but the most important news for St. Louis Cardinals fans in the wake of Jackson's exit is this: They get yet another supplemental draft pick. The Cardinals now have five top-100 picks to their name. That's the most they've had to play with since they got six in the 2005 draft, which produced—Colby Rasmus.

The Rasmus trade ledger now looks like this: The Cardinals traded Rasmus (along with a gift basket of pitchers they weren't interested in) for Marc Rzepczynski, two draft picks, and a half a season each of Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel, and, for whatever reason, Corey Patterson.

If the Cardinals ever get around to trying Rzepczynski out in the rotation that could look a little better than it did at the time; in any case, with Jeff Luhnow and company gone to the Houston Astros now is the new braintrust's chance to make John Mozeliak's deadline deal look as good as possible.