The St. Louis Cardinals were unlikely winners Wednesday when they secured a bonus draft pick in Major League Baseball's competitive-balance lottery.

Theo Epstein, for one, couldn't deny feeling a tad bitter about the Cardinals' good fortune.

Cubs president Theo Epstein said that the Cardinals got a "gift" by landing a Round A pick in baseball's competitive-balance lottery. Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports

"They do extremely well from a baseball standpoint and from a revenue standpoint," the Chicago Cubs' president of baseball operations said Wednesday. "It's probably the last organization in baseball that needs that kind of annual gift that they receive."

The competitive-balance lottery was introduced in 2012 as a way for small-market and low-revenue teams to gain extra draft picks. There were 15 teams eligible in this year's lottery, which was made up of the clubs in the 10 smallest markets -- including St. Louis -- and those with the 10 lowest revenues.

The odds of gaining an extra pick in Round A, which takes place between the first and second rounds of the draft, are calculated in reverse order of last year's standings. But the reigning National League champion Cardinals, the least likely team to land a Round A pick, beat the odds by winning the third selection in the round.

"It's not necessarily the type of thing [the Cardinals] need, given their performance on the field and off the field," Epstein said. "They do a fantastic job, and it just doesn't seem like something they need at this point."