Youk definitely turned into something more than what he was projected to be, but he was still a valued (by the right kind of people) player when he was drafted. Beane was all about getting him until the Red Sox swooped him in and snatched him earlier than he was projected to be drafted, namely because of their pseudo-Moneyball approach to developing talent combined with enough smart signings/trades. Right, Ortiz was a very, very lucky signing, and the Cubs aren't without their luck as well (at least when it comes to trades, as with Aramis and Lee). The big difference is the big picture. Sure, the Cubs struck gold with Aramis, but there wasn't their equivalent of Manny to go along with it, plus they were bogged down by a bunch of middle tier FA and a lack of homegrown talent outside of the pitching staff.