A decision on who free agent Jake Arrieta will pitch for in the upcoming season is expected to be made in the next couple days, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports.
The Philadelphia Phillies, who have been tied to Arrieta for some time now, are the favorites to recruit the right-hander.
Nightengale's report comes one day after Lance Lynn signed a one-year, $12-million deal with the Minnesota Twins, taking one of the more likely destinations for Arrieta off of the market. Along with Arrieta, Alex Cobb remains the top free-agent starter.
In addition to the Phillies, the Washington Nationals have been reportedly engaged with Arrieta. The Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees were all also recently interested, according to an earlier report from Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
The Phillies have been surprising buyers this offseason, signing Carlos Santana to a $60-million, three-year deal and Tommy Hunter to a two-year contract worth $18 million. That being said, the club hasn't made any additions to a starting rotation that lacks depth at the top end behind Aaron Nola.
