The Phillies, thanks to their high revenues and exceedingly modest payroll commitments in the coming years, figure to be big players on the free agent market next winter. This winter, however, has proceeded at a glacial pace, and that means teams do well to take a fluid approach to the market. So maybe the Phillies will start their spending spree a year ahead of schedule? Regarding that possibility, there's the scoop from Ken Rosenthal ... 

Yu Darvish is the most coveted arm on the market this offseason, and he's already of serious interest to the Cubs, Twins, Rangers, Brewers, and Yankees. Now perhaps we should add the Phillies to that list. 

Last season, Darvish in his age-30 campaign -- his first year back from Tommy John surgery -- pitched to a 3.86 ERA (118 ERA+) and racked up 209 strikeouts in 186 2/3 innings for the Rangers and Dodgers. He of course struggled badly in the World Series, as he allowed nine runs in 3 1/3 innings across two starts, but that was reportedly the result of his tipping pitches. For his career, he owns an ERA+ of 126 and a K/BB ratio of 3.33 across parts of five MLB seasons.

Presently, the Phillies are poised to open the 2018 season with a rotation fronted by Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, and Vincent Velasquez. A bit of veteran certainty in that mix certainly makes some sense. 

As for Darvish, he could be on the verge of a decision ... 

The mix of need, resources, and appeal probably makes the Cubs the frontrunners. By the sounds of it, we'll know soon enough.