It wasn’t just the Yankees trying to land Andrew Benintendi. The Mets were among the other clubs who were in until the lefty-swinging left fielder accepted the White Sox’s five-year, $75 million offer.

Benintendi appealed to the Mets for multiple reasons, including that Steve Cohen liked him as a player. But — this will be hard to believe now — even this version of the Mets had some financial parameters, if not limitations. They were among several clubs around the four-year, $60 million mark in bids for Benintendi, with many teams offering perks such as opt-outs.

But once they landed Kodai Senga after reaching accords with Justin Verlander and Brandon Nimmo — plus Jose Quintana and David Robertson — the Mets hit a bit of a pause button on any other substantial deals. The only way they would break from that pose is if Cohen believed he saw a difference-maker who would greatly impact the club’s near future. Which is why Carlos Correa is now in agreement with the Mets. Cohen saw Correa as that kind of needle mover worth elevating both his record payroll and the fury of his competitors.

Once Aaron Judge was retained, the Yankees let the Benintendi camp know he was a priority, but within their budget, it was either Benintendi or Carlos Rodon as their next move, not both. And Rodon was the priority. They landed Rodon on a six-year, $162 million pact.