Report: Phillies checking in with Darvish

Yet another team appears to be poking its head into the Yu Darvish sweepstakes, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports the Philadelphia Phillies are checking in with the free-agent right-hander, along with most other high-profile free agents.

While Rosenthal added that it's unlikely the Phillies would end up as the highest bidder for Darvish's services, he did note they might prefer a shorter-term contract.

It's unclear how serious talks between the two sides are.

Philadelphia is coming off a 96-loss season, but the rebuilding franchise appears ready to turn a corner toward contention. The team has already inked one highly sought-after free agent this winter in first baseman Carlos Santana, and was reportedly at least considering a run at Jake Arrieta in December.

The Darvish sweepstakes appear to have picked up in earnest lately, and a report Wednesday suggested the 31-year-old is increasingly likely to sign this week.

Darvish has reportedly received a contract offer from the Milwaukee Brewers, and is also said to be in active talks with another NL Central team, the Chicago Cubs. Other teams said to be involved in the chase for Darvish at various levels are the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Houston Astros.