Pretty much every element that Juan Soto and his representative, Scott Boras, could have hoped for to stimulate the lefty-hitting star’s free agency has transpired.

Soto had a brilliant season after being traded to the Yankees. He followed that by being their best hitter in the postseason. Thus, Soto demonstrated he could handle the most pressure-packed market while confirming that he would not be cowed by October.

And if you could pick any two teams to hungrily want a player to fuel bidding it would be the Yankees trying to keep a player away from the Steve Cohen Mets. You really don’t need more, but why not throw in two desperate clubs in the Blue Jays and Red Sox? And have the champion Dodgers at least hovering nearby to keep every other suitor honest.

That is why the expectation is that Soto will exceed $600 million and who knows beyond that? The moons have aligned for him, including the rarity of a player of his hitting skill and youth (26) becoming available in free agency in an age when hitting is never more difficult. And it is why the expectation is that this will go down before the Winter Meetings conclude next Wednesday … and probably before that.