They're dumb because we think the Sox should be considered for one, because the Cubs own the lion's share of Chicago baseball fans, and MLB doesn't want to acknowledge that. Part of it has to do with the Cubs being a national brand. If they're going to do competitive balance picks, it should be for competitive balance and teams with a 5 year average under 75 wins should get one, the market size shouldn't matter, winning should. Also, teams that have missed the playoffs for a decade straight should get one until their next playoff appearance. The whole point should be to help longtime losers like the Sox, Padres and Mariners rather than small markets who have found ways to win due to being better at analytical scouting than everyone else like the Cardinals and Rays.