I get that we want to keep all our really good players. But this is not MLB. There are limits and choices to be made. With Johnson, the decision was made when they traded for Ramsey.
I'm not saying compensatory picks are 'equal' for player losses. But they are clearly assets. And when the team is drafting players like Fuller, Burgess, Gaines, Edwards, Scott, SJD, etc. with some of those later round picks AND you don't have 1st rounders it's smart to accumulate them as part of the personnel strategy.
