Juan Soto is reportedly getting closer to his free agency decision

Outfielder Juan Soto has been the subject of much speculation since free agency began.

Unexpected teams had reportedly reached out to Soto's representatives to get a sense of his contract demands. Five teams were reported to have made offers to Soto before Thanksgiving. The favorite for his services seemed to change day to day.

A decision could be coming soon. Ken Rosenthal, Brendan Kuty and Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that not only has the bidding reached $600M but that the process of eliminating teams from consideration has begun. Likewise, Jon Heyman of the New York Post had reported that Soto is not interested in a short-term deal at a high average annual value.

Soto could be worth every penny of his next contract. The 26-year-old has an impressive resume and could be a future Hall of Famer. A four-time All-Star, Soto has produced a .285/.421/.532 batting line in his 4088 plate appearances, hitting 201 homers and 179 doubles. He is coming off one of his best seasons, hitting a career high 41 homers while finishing third in the AL MVP vote.

Adding Soto will also cause a ripple effect down the lineup. His on-base skills make him an ideal option to bat second; he leads all active players in on-base percentage and has finished no worse than fourth in walks in the past five years. Soto's ability to hit for power makes him a weapon in the third spot where he has proven to be a consistent run producer. Whichever team he signs with will significantly improve their chances at a championship.