DALLAS – As the baseball industry arrived Sunday here at the Hilton Anatole, home of this week’s Winter Meetings, only one thing was fairly certain.

In all likelihood, someone would go with Juan Soto.

When that would actually happen or which team was still a mystery until Sunday evening as club managers, agents and media members continued to show up. Meanwhile, offers to Soto spun like the national debt clock in Times Square, with the most recently reported numbers in the $700 million range.

It’s no wonder Soto and agent Scott Boras took their time making a decision. Why turn off the money when there are still a handful of financially strong teams bidding for his services?

The main rivals were still the Yankees and Mets, but the Red Sox and Blue Jays were also in the mix, although the Dodgers were still believed to be lurking on the sidelines.

However, as long as Soto remained on the market, it was almost impossible to tell who had the advantage, as everyone involved was very tight-lipped about each team’s status, other than to say they had advanced to the final round of negotiations. For Boras, it was the ideal scenario, one that would almost certainly take Soto past Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract from last December.

“I don’t think Ohtani has much to do with Juan Soto at all,” Boras prophetically said last month. “Soto is in an age category that sets him apart. When you do these things for these young players, there is no comparison to other players.”

Boras was referring to the fact that Soto had just turned 26 in October, in the middle of the Yankees’ World Series run. By allowing Soto to reach free agency at such a young age, it allowed Boras to pursue shorter contract terms, with talk of extending the contract term from 12 to even 15 years to maximize his earning potential. That’s why signing Soto has gone beyond a typical roster decision and become a lifelong investment for a franchise that requires more consideration than most.

Who else needs an audience with the owners like Soto did last month, not only to foster a relationship but also to read their vision for the future?

“I just know he deserves this,” Hal Steinbrenner said after meeting Soto in November. “And he will go through the process.”

This process has been going on for about a month now, after Soto spent all of last season with the Yankees, who thought they would benefit from having him in pinstripes, even if it only lasted one season. They certainly delivered on the field, as Soto’s MVP-caliber performance helped them advance to the World Series for the first time since 2009. But if Soto wants to do it again in the Bronx, he has refused to shake his hand, leading to the most feverish negotiations in recent memory – perhaps ever.

As of Sunday night, the baseball world waited for Soto’s decision, believing it could come at any moment. Time is money, after all, and Soto has apparently used those minutes this offseason to earn even more than anyone expected.

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a Baseball Hall of Fame voter and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.