Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein is not happy. Upon hearing the news that the St. Louis Cardinals received a Round-A pick in baseball’s competitive-balance lottery, Epstein decided to not allow his strong feelings to be secretive.
On Wednesday Epstein said this: "They do extremely well from a baseball standpoint and from a revenue standpoint. It's probably the last organization in baseball that needs that kind of annual gift that they receive,” according to ESPN.com.
"It's not necessarily the type of thing [the Cardinals] need, given their performance on the field and off the field. They do a fantastic job, and it just doesn't seem like something they need at this point,” Epstein continued to say.
The competitive-balance lottery was brought to the table in 2012 as a means to help the lower revenue-generating teams stay competitive by gaining extra draft-picks. This year, they were 15 clubs eligible to win the lottery. They were comprised of the teams in the 10 smallest markets and those with the 10 lowest revenues. The lottery is also weighted in “reverse order of standings,” so considering their current 54-47 record, the Cardinals were extremely fortunate to land a Round-A pick, according to MLB.com.
Each season, 6 teams receive Round-A picks which take place in between Rounds-one and two; and 6 teams receive Round-B picks which take place in between Rounds-two and three. Other Round-A winners from the lottery were Indians, Padres, Brewers, Marlins and Rockies.
It is common knowledge in baseball that the Cardinals organization is one of the more respected in the game. Their franchise model is so respected that other teams try to emulate on a consistent basis. This pick can only help, as it is also eligible to be traded.