There was no immediate reason to celebrate the Shelby Miller signing in Cardinal Nation.

It will be a while before he appears on the big league radar screen. The teenager has to fill out first. He must build the strength and stamina to pitch through a professional season. He must learn how to retire grown-ups. He must avoid the shoulder and elbow injuries common in his line of work.

But the signing was another indicator that Bill DeWitt Jr. and Co. are committed to maintaining a perpetual contender down at Busch Stadium.

The $2.85 million paid to Miller set a franchise record for bonus money given a high school prospect. Earlier this summer, the franchise spent $3.1 million on Latin American free agent Wagner Mateo -– another record bonus for this team.

These moves don’t guarantee future success, of course, but their signal the franchise’s desire to spend its ample revenues constructively.

Strong player development is good business. It is the key to keeping a quality product on the field year after year after year.

The Cardinals surrendered much young pitching to upgrade their big league lineup this season. Relievers Chris Perez and Jess Todd went to Cleveland for Mark DeRosa and Oakland got potential starter Clayton Mortensen in the Matt Holliday deal

All three of those young pitchers saw time in St. Louis this season.

The team also sacrificed top offensive prospects Brett Wallace and Shane Peterson in the Holliday trade. Both could reach the majors sooner than later.

Despite those sacrifices, the organization remains committed to player development. DeWitt hasn’t deviated from his plan, despite the deals for DeRosa and Holliday.

By bucking up for Miller and Mateo, the organization stayed its course.

Miller was one of the elite pitchers in this amateur draft. He used his collegiate leverage (Texas A&M) to demand a super-sized signing bonus -– reportedly $4 million.

Several teams passed on him as a result, allowing him to fall to the Cards at 19th overall. By securing Miller, general manager John Mozeliak landed the equivalent of a top five pick.

(The Cards had a similar opportunity in 2007 but passed on Rick Porcello, currently a key member of the Tigers rotation. The Cards saved significant money by drafting high school shortstop Pete Kozma instead. That kid reached Class AA Springfield this season, but he appears to be a long ways off offensively.)

By eschewing their usual draft M.O. with pitchers -– drafting productive collegiate hurlers with near-term pro potential -– the Cards landed a "high ceiling" prospect with top-of-the-rotation potential.

Player development czar Jeff Luhnow quickly built much-needed pitching depth in recent drafts, but he didn’t land the Next Wainwright. The Cards hope Miller will become that sort of pitcher.

Mateo is another "high ceiling" player. He offers massive offensive potential. The Cards broke new ground by winning the bidding war for the 16-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic.

Will the Cards have something special with Miller and Mateo? It will take time to find out.

But in the long run, the Cards will be better off investing more money on high-end prospects and spending less on fill-in veterans they have needed to get through seasons. If the Cards can build a strong base, perennial contention becomes much easier.

We’ve seen the payoff this season as:

* Rookie Colby Rasmus arrived in center field, living up to all the hype as a strong offensive and defensive outfielder.

* Brendan Ryan graduated to the starting shortstop role, replacing ill-fated veteran Khalil Greene.

* Todd, Perez, Mortensen, Wallace and Peterson became trade chips to land DeRosa and Holliday.

* Rookie Blake Hawksworth shored up the bullpen when a gap developed in the set-up corps.

* Rookie Jason Motte filled one of the relief roles, pitching 53 times -– the second most on the team -– and earning a team-high 15 holds. (Those three blown saves and nine homers allowed are unsightly, though, as is that 5.95 earned-run average.)

* Rookie Mitchell Boggs filled a rotation hole, first replacing an injured Chris Carpenter, then supplanting the ineffective Todd Wellemeyer. The Cards are 5-1 in his starts.

* Rookies Tyler Greene, Nick Stavinoha, Jarret Hoffpauir, Shane Robinson and P.J. Walters chipped in earlier this season, when injuries depleted the big league roster.

Fans fret about whether the Cards will be able to keep veteran likes of Holliday, DeRosa and Joel Pineiro from exploring free agency. But Mozeliak takes some comfort from players like David Freese, Jaime Garcia, Tyler Greene, Allen Craig, Lance Lynn, Eduardo Sanchez and Daryl Jones progressing in the minors.

And some day, Miller and Mateo could be knocking on the door, too. The only way to win year after year is to keep the young players coming year after year.