LOS ANGELES – Juan Soto’s much-touted free agency is nearing its final stretch, with a source familiar with the process raising the possibility that the star outfielder could set his destination by the end of this week – before the start of the annual winter meeting.

Industry representatives and executives will descend on Dallas this Sunday. Soto is widely expected to sign a record-breaking contract before they leave the following Thursday, and could do so before they even arrive, an industry source told ESPN on Tuesday.

Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, declined to offer a definitive timeline.

“When you go through these things, you just have to process a lot of information,” Boras said of Soto while attending Blake Snell’s introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. “We had meetings with a number of franchises. He started eliminating teams and getting things done. Juan is a very methodical thinker, so we’ll see. I don’t think anything is imminent in the near future.”

The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are the five known suitors for Soto, whose contract is expected to top $600 million and span 15 years to bring the value to a to reach unprecedented levels. Shohei Ohtani secured the largest guarantee in baseball history with the 10-year, $700 million contract he signed with the Dodgers last offseason. But more than 95% of Ohtani’s contract is deferred, bringing today’s value down to $460 million for luxury tax purposes.

Soto’s deal could go beyond that — and will serve as the latest example of the free-agent market moving much faster this winter. Last offseason, four of Boras’ most well-known clients – Snell, Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery and Cody Bellinger – remained ineligible for spring training. Ahead of this year’s Winter Meetings, Boras has already inked deals with Snell and fellow starters Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas and Matthew Boyd.

Soto, who at 26 is already one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, could soon follow.

Asked why teams seem more willing to spend money this offseason, Boras said: “I wish I could answer those questions. and the streaming business they run is very viable and very profitable. I don’t think they like to say this, but the markets obviously show that there is a different attitude towards it.

“And the question of who is on the market also has a lot to do with things. You have franchises in major markets, you have generational talent, which really illustrates the needs.”