"We've had meetings with several franchises. He's begun the process of eliminating teams and making decisions. Juan is a very methodical thinker, so we'll see, but I don't think anything is imminent in the near future," Boras said according to The Athletic.

The expectation is Soto will decide after the Winter Meetings conclude, but he could also decide before they start on Dec. 8.

If that's the case, free agency will certainly accelerate immediately after the announcement.

So, if the Phillies are out, which teams are in contention?

The Athletic lists the five clubs vying for the superstar, and one of them would be a nightmare scenario for Philadelphia.

"The clubs publicly known to be most serious about Soto are the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Dodgers. The two people briefed on the negotiations said that all remaining contenders have made offers above $600 million," the insiders reveal.

Not only might Phillies fans see one of their dream targets sign with another organization, but they might also have to face him within their division for the next decade-plus as a member of the rival New York Mets.

Which would probably be the worst case scenario for the Phillies.

The Mets are seen as the strong favorites to acquire him, willing to pay what it takes to add him to their roster, which made a "surprise run" to the NLCS when they were for some reason expected to be in rebuild mode, despite having the largest payroll in the MLB. Go ahead and figure that one out...

It should be noted that even though many fans saw this offseason as a "Soto or bust" scenario, Philadelphia can still make a significant impact without signing Soto.

If they can upgrade their outfield, strengthen their bullpen, and add another solid starting pitcher to complete their rotation, it would enhance a roster already capable of making a deep playoff run.