When I read last night that we traded Adam Warren for someone named Castro, I joked that maybe it was Fidel. The Cuban leader was said to be a pretty good ballplayer back in the day and I hope Starlin Castro is too. In the above photo, he was the Cubs shortstop, but he’ll be our new second baseman. He has to be better than Stephen Drew, right?

For one thing, he’s young (26) and athletic, and was an All-Star before having a down season last year – the reason, I assume, that the Cubs made him expendable by signing Ben Zobrist. Maybe a change of scenery and good Yankees coaching will nudge him forward in his career and he’ll turn out to be a good get for us.

As for Adam Warren, the poor guy deserved a real shot to be in the starting rotation, but his versatility made him hard to resist as a bullpen bolsterer. The question now is – once again – which arms we’ll be able to depend on. We need pitching. I’d be amazed if Cashman doesn’t go after another young guy like Evo, a starter with upside potential who won’t cost too much.

Yes, this is the cost-conscious era of the Yankees – not a rebuilding, per se, as we have too many expensive veterans on the payroll, but a slow acquisition of younger talent. I’m OK with that as long as a pitcher or two are part of the equation.

As for Jeter (the photo made me wistful), I wonder when he’s tying the knot with his swimsuit model fiancee? Shouldn’t we have gotten a wedding invitation by now or did mine get lost in the mail?