NEW YORK — When Padres right-hander Michael King started scouting the Yankees ’ lineup recently in preparation for his start at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, he realized how much his old team has changed.

Michael King played with Aaron Judge for the better part of four years from 2020-23 and witnessed first-hand Judge’s record-setting 2022 season.

But the inclusion of the righthander was a must for Preller, and eventually the trade was consummated. The Yankees received Soto and Trent Grisham and the Padres got King, fellow righthanders Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez and catcher Kyle Higashioka.