Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and right now, most with eyeballs look at the Houston Astros' farm system and see something downright ugly. The pipeline to Houston was looking pretty tapped, and that was before the club gave up two of its very top prospects in exchange for Mike Burrows.
Improving the perception of the system is of paramount importance. Not only will the Astros need to be able to reach down into the minors for a talent infusion, given the bleak financial prognosis in both the present and the foreseeable future, but improving the farm's standing around the league will make it easier to maneuver on the trade market.