NEW YORK — Like everyone else, I was left woozy by Brian Cashman’s tour de force at the trade deadline on Thursday. Acting more like a mad scientist than a general manager, Cashman worked frantically until the monster had been fully refitted.

On a day that Aaron Boone described as exciting for some players and anxious for others, the Yankees took care of business on the field with the trade deadline looming over them.

The Yankees rode an early offensive eruption to a 7-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon, though they had to wait through a nearly three-hour weather delay to finish off the series-clinching victory in the Bronx.

The New York Yankees acquired Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar on Thursday. The Pirates received catching prospects Rafael Flores and Edgleen Perez and outfielder Brian Sanchez. The 30-year-old closer was one of the top relief pitchers on the market this year. He joins a Yankees bullpen that includes Luke Weaver and Devin Williams.

With the Yankees needing help in the bullpen, the team will reportedly get David Bednar in a trade with the Pirates before the 2025 deadline.