Casey is right. It is not prudent for Judge to play regularly in center. But the arrival of Soto leaves the team with little choice, somewhat dimming the luster of a move that, to borrow an old phrase from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, is a major step toward re-establishing the team as “a fully operational Death Star.”

Aaron Judge shared his thoughts on the New York Yankees recent acquisition of star Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres

Soto is not the only left-handed hitting outfielder the Yankees acquired at the Winter Meetings. The Yankees also sent three pitching prospects to the AL East rival Boston Red Sox for Alex Verdugo earlier in the week. There was some thought Verdugo could be flipped to the Padres in a Soto trade, but that did not happen. He remains with the Yankees.

The Yankees added one corner outfielder on Tuesday night in Alex Verdugo and then reeled in an even bigger fish Wednesday night in Soto, another corner outfielder. With a remade outfield, the Yankees are comfortable moving Judge from right field to center to have Verdugo and Soto in the corners.

The New York Yankees were one of the busiest teams at the MLB Winter Meetings, and their lineup will look a lot different with Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo joining the fray.

The philosophy was to pair two mammoth hitters and dare the sport to figure out a way to face them 10 times a game without incurring offensive harm.

The trade sending Soto to the Yankees is "close to being finalized," Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports. Morosi says it will be Michael King, Drew Thorpe and at least two additional players shipped to the Padres.