Several weeks had passed since the Yankees’ trade for Juan Soto, an old-school blockbuster that occupied all of the oxygen at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., and Aaron Boone was still delighting in his options.

More than a few times, the manager went back and forth sketching out potential lineups -- sometimes with Soto hitting second ahead of Aaron Judge, sometimes the other way around. As he toyed with how best to align two of this generation’s best hitters, Boone recognized there wasn’t a wrong choice.

Despite a summer slide that has cost the Yankees some ground in the standings, Soto and Judge have performed to expectations, rightfully claiming starting spots in the American League’s outfield for Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Globe Life Field.

“This was what I pictured and fantasized about since it happened and I started writing out lineups,” Boone said recently. “Knowing what they were capable of back-to-back, I would say it’s gone very well. In a lot of ways, it is what I envisioned.”

That’s for sure. Let’s begin with Soto, whose blend of power and patience has been as advertised following that December deal with the Padres. An offensive machine who exudes confidence in his knowledge of the strike zone, Soto paces the Majors in walks (79) and trails only Judge in on-base percentage (.426).

Already well-decorated as a four-time All-Star, batting champion and World Series winner, the 25-year-old Soto says he has benefited greatly from hitting ahead of Judge.

“Every time he steps in that box, you know something good is going to happen,” Soto said. “He's an unbelievable player. That's why, like I say, I just try to be on base for every time he's hitting -- because I know something's going to happen.”

Though Soto has dealt with a bruised right hand since a June 28 slide at Toronto, he plans to take the field for his first All-Star Game starting nod. Soto doesn’t want to miss that opportunity, which will include looking to his right and playing alongside Judge.

“I’m more than happy to share the field with him,” Soto said. “Now in an All-Star Game, it’s going to be even better.”

The bond between Soto and Judge formed early this spring, highlighted by many impressive rounds of batting practice together in the same group. Judge marveled at Soto’s disciplined routine, vowing to help make the transition as smooth as possible for his new teammate.

“He’s a hard worker; I saw that from the very beginning,” Judge said. “We were all getting here at 7, 7:30 [a.m.], and this guy is already working in the cage. He’s got quite a few different drills that he likes to do that make him feel right, and he’s disciplined with it. He’s got everything mapped out.”

Though Judge said optimistically that this only represents Soto’s “first year” in pinstripes, the Yankees understand it’s his only guaranteed season with them. Soto could be primed to shatter financial records in free agency; his name is expected to dominate a second consecutive Winter Meetings.

All the more reason to enjoy each episode of the Soto and Judge Show right now.

“[Soto is] a generational hitter,” Boone said. “We’ve seen that kind of phrase thrown around him, and I think that rings true. His level of at-bat day in and day out [stands out]. And then when you pair it with him and Aaron back-to-back, that’s something that I don’t think many of us have ever seen.”

Kevin Cash would agree. During the Yankees’ recent road series at Tropicana Field, the Rays manager scanned the opposing lineup card, marveling at the back-to-back threat in the Nos. 2-3 holes.

“I don't know if you can find a better one, so they're right there at the top,” Cash said. “Both are extremely talented. I looked at their numbers and certainly Aaron Judge's numbers a minute ago. I mean, he's got a full season's worth of numbers and we're at the halfway point.”

Indeed, Judge shrugged off an awful April to hit an MVP-level pace, claiming AL Player of the Month Awards for May and June -- the first Yankee to bring home those honors in consecutive months since Don Mattingly in Aug.-Sept. 1985.

Judge’s Major League-leading 34 home runs are the most by a Yankee before the All-Star break, which surpasses the 33 homers he hit before the break in 2022.

Now a six-time All-Star, there may not be enough bold print to encapsulate Judge’s performance. He paces the Majors in homers, RBIs (85), slugging percentage (.679), OPS (1.112), and extra-base hits (59), among other categories.

Boone said that it’s difficult to wrap your mind around the level of Judge’s play, noting that hitters are finding today’s pitching more difficult to hit, with the league-average OPS hovering in the low-to-mid .700s. Like Soto, Judge understands his strike zone well (even if some umpires still haven’t figured out how to properly call low pitches on a 6-foot-7 monster).

Yankees closer Clay Holmes, who will accompany his teammates to the All-Star Game after receiving his second nod to the Midsummer Classic, said that sharing a clubhouse with Soto and Judge has been just as “incredible” as he would have thought.

“It's almost like you want to take it for granted because of who they are, who their names are and what they've done,” Holmes said. “But it takes showing up every day. It takes preparing every day. Stuff doesn't just happen. I think just seeing how they work and how committed they are to this team and winning here, it's impressive. I think it rubs off on everybody here.”