While the Yankees completed a trade for outfielder Andrew Benintendi on Thursday, they continued to work hard to add a high-end starting pitcher, deploying a scout on a special assignment to watch Luis Castillo in Cincinnati, and engaging in dialogue with Oakland about Frankie Montas, according to league sources.

Meanwhile, inside the Yankees locker room before and after Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Mets at Citi Field, there was a strong sense that GM Brian Cashman will continue to upgrade the roster by Tuesday’s trade deadline. Those who have worked with or observed Cashman believe that he has sharp instincts for when to go all-in on a season, and that this is clearly one of those years.

The 2022 Yanks are a confident group, far from somber about the subway mini-sweep. Players were chatting, smiling, shrugging -- if anyone shed a tear or hung his head, we didn’t see it. The team earned that self-assurance with its play in the first half, building a double-digit lead in the American League East.

That confidence does not preclude a self-awareness about the desire for a rotation upgrade, or help to lengthen the lineup. As word spread through the clubhouse Wednesday night that the Yanks had acquired Benintendi, the players were clearly pleased.

"He's a really good player,” Aaron Judge said. “That'll definitely be a big piece to what we got going on here.”

Other players and personnel made clear in side conversations their assumption that Benintendi was merely the first move. Whether it’s Castillo, Montas, Miami’s Pablo Lopez or a pitcher we’ve yet to identify, there’s a strong expectation that another deal is coming soon.

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