Latest Juan Soto Update Continues To Disappoint Philadelphia Phillies Fans

Juan Soto has still not signed, so that means the Philadelphia Phillies are theoretically still in the running.

While it was reported they plan on meeting with the superstar outfielder at some point this offseason, additional information then came out that they had yet to make an offer.

And now, it's been made explicitly clear that the organization has still not met with the superstar, let alone extend an offer.

Five teams are seen as the realistic suitors to land him, and the Phillies aren't one.

Whether that means they are actually out of the running or just not at the negotiating table right now remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain, if Philadelphia wants to make the splash signing of the winter, they have a lot of work to do.

That became even more apparent based on the latest update on the Soto sweepstakes.

Per The Athletic, "the floor for Juan Soto is $600 million" and the phenom and his agent, Scott Boras, have "started the process of eliminating potential landing spots."

"The bidding for the free-agent MLB outfielder has surpassed that amount, according to two people briefed on the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly," the insiders revealed.

With that in mind, the Phillies are likely out.

While president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has shown an ability and willingness to land top stars on the open market and owner Jon Middleton has not shied away from handing out lucrative deals, inking Soto to a contract of this magnitude would easily make them carry the highest payroll in Major League Baseball for the foreseeable future.

There's no doubt he would make Philadelphia better, but considering the other areas of need they have to address this offseason, that is a lot of money to give one singular player.

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

The expectation is Soto will make his decision after the Winter Meetings are completed, but he could also make up his mind before things get underway on Dec. 8.

If that's the case, free agency will assuredly start going into overdrive immediately after the announcement.

So, if the Phillies are out, then what teams are in the mix?

The Athletic lists the five clubs who are making a push 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 could Phillies fans see one of their dream targets sign with another organization, but they might also have to see their team face him in division for the next decade-plus as a member of the rival New York Mets.

That would be a tough pill to swallow.

The Mets are seen as the heavy favorites to land him, willing to pay what it takes to add him to their roster that made a surprise run to the NLCS when they were predicted to be in rebuild mode.

It should be noted, Philadelphia can still make a splash without signing Soto.

If they are able to upgrade their outfield, shore up their bullpen and add another solid starting pitcher to fill out their rotation, then that would boost a roster that is already capable of making a deep playoff run.