The Yankees did not get Juan Soto. The Mets did not get Willson Contreras.

During a trade deadline that featured maybe the most talent exchanged in one transaction in league history, the local teams — both in first place, both incentivized to make pushes ahead of the postseason — passed on the names who would have turned heads and moved betting lines.

For the Yankees and Mets, the 2022 trade deadline was about shrewdness, not star power.

Let’s start with the Yankees, who could have aimed bigger. Luis Castillo, the changeup artist, was the biggest name on the starting pitcher market and had dazzled just a couple weeks ago on the mound in The Bronx. But the prospect haul that the Reds demanded was steep — the Mariners sent three of their top five minor leaguers — so the Yankees pivoted to Frankie Montas. The former A’s standout was a fine consolation prize, which became a theme of the past few days.