Cubs' Epstein on Competitive Balance picks: Cardinals 'the last organization that needs a gift'

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The MLB Competitive Balance draft lottery took place Wednesday, awarding six franchises with an extra draft pick based on team revenue and market size. The St. Louis Cardinals - who have appeared in two of the last three World Series -  scooped up the third pick in Round A. 

The Cardinals' rival Chicago Cubs did not receive a compensatory pick, despite having struggled near the bottom of the division through the last half decade. 

Cubs president Theo Epstein is dubious of the advantage being handed to the incumbent NL Champions. 

"I could talk all day about the Cardinals and how much we hold them in high regard," Epstein said to the Daily Herald. "That's a fantastic franchise. They have been for the better part of a century. 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 gift or annual gift that they receive." 

Epstein has been instrumental in building a deep farm system in his short time with the Cubs, and made sure to serve notice that he's not pleased with sitting back and letting the Cardinals get away with grabbing extra prospects without lobbing a few shots their way. 

"It'll just make it that much sweeter when we get to a point where we can compete with them and ultimately prevail because it's not necessarily the kind of thing they need given their performance on the field and off the field," he said. "They've done a fantastic job, and it doesn't seem like something they need at this point."