All-Star Starlin Castro has played different roles during rebuilds with Cubs, Yankees

Castro was the young guy with the rebuilding Cubs and now he's a veteran with the rebuilding Yankees

MIAMI -- New York Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro made three All-Star teams in his six seasons with the Chicago Cubs, but this is his first time representing the Yankees at the Midsummer Classic, though he'll be sitting out Tuesday night's game at Marlins Park with a hamstring injury.

Castro's three All-Star selections with the Cubs came at a very different point in his career. In Chicago, Castro was one of the young players the team planned to build around. In New York, he's one of the veterans that younger players like fellow All-Stars Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge lean on for guidance.

"We're always having conversations," Castro said Monday. "They're young. They want to be successful in the big leagues. We always talk. Whatever I have to say to help them, I'm going to say it."

Castro broke into the big leagues 44 days after his 20th birthday with a historic performance -- he became the only player to record 6 RBI in his MLB debut -- and he was really the first young Cubs player to arrive of the core group that eventually ended the World Series drought. It wasn't until later than Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and others came on the scene, and Castro was traded to New York before the 2016 season.

With the Yankees, Castro is a veteran with more than 1,000 big league games under his belt. He turned 27 in spring training, so he's not old, but he is certainly experienced. Castro has been through a rebuild -- the Yankees insist they aren't rebuilding even though they're clearly focused on getting younger -- from both sides. He's been the young player and the veteran, and he considers that a positive.

"It's been better to have been on both sides," Castro said. "My first year -- my first two, three years -- in Chicago, I felt like the young guy. Now there are a lot of guys younger than me on the team. I feel really good. I've been learning a lot during the time I have in the big leagues. I think it helped being part of a young team like Chicago."

Castro admitted watching the Cubs win the World Series during his first year with the Yankees was bittersweet. He's happy to be a Yankee, but after spending all those tough rebuilding years in Chicago, he didn't get to be part of the team that finally won it all. Now he hopes to be part of the Yankees team that bring home the franchise's 28th title.

"I'm glad the Cubbies won," Castro said. "It's going to be good. It didn't happen for me when I was there. But it will be pretty good (to win with the Yankees)."