Gleyber Torres is making the most of his October showcase

CLEVELAND— If Juan Soto had gone oh-for-October, that would not have impacted his free agency.At 20, he already had proven his postseason fortitude as arguably the best hitter on the championship Nationals.

At 25, he has demonstrated he can handle all things New York. And, oh yeah, 25 — Soto turns 26 next week.Thus, he enters free agency as a rarity: an elite player with many prime years ahead.

Thus, his floor is half a billion dollars — likely far more than that. But have you noticed it is not just Soto — every walk-year Yankee has played well this postseason.Front offices nowadays mainly are indifferent to the small sample of a few good weeks, even in October, though that won’t stop representatives from selling it hard and trying perhaps to do an end run toward an overemotional owner. Still, while Soto was not going to be harmed by a poor October — and so far he is having a very good one (1.012 OPS) — it certainly will not hurt Tim Hill, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and Alex Verdugo that they have so far elevated the Yankees chorus this postseason. Hill, Holmes and Kahnle have been central to a dominating Yankee pen.

Hill, after a rough ALCS Game 1, was the stealth MVP of Game 2 with five stabilizing outs in a 6-3 triumph over the Guardians.Holmes has appeared in all six Yankee postseason games and is now up to 14 ²/₃ career playoff innings without yielding a run.

Kahnle has faced 17 batters this October and permitted one hit. Rizzo, who did not play in the Division Series, recovered enough from two fractured fingers to have two terrific ALCS games (3-for-7 with a walk).Rizzo has a $17 million 2025 option with a $6 million buyout. Verdugo is reminding that when he is fully engaged, he is a strong all-around player — excellent on defense and pesky on offense. And if anyone is most sprucing their reputation — and perhaps bottom line — from this group, it is Torres.

Since going into the leadoff spot Aug....