Phillies' interest in free-agent SS Trea Turner could be cooling off

It's no secret the Philadelphia Phillies have significant interest in free agent All-Star shortstop Trea Turner. However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Phillies are reportedly widening their search for a shiny new shortstop. 

Per Rosenthal, the Phillies have scheduled meetings with "all four" top free agent shortstops, including Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, and Dansby Swanson, signaling that interest may be cooling off on Turner. 

"Turner has often been characterized as the Phillies' No. 1 choice, and Philadelphia has been widely viewed as the favorite to sign him," Rosenthal wrote. "But the meetings with Correa, Bogaerts and Swanson indicate the club hasn't ruled out any of the other members of a stellar free-agent shortstop class." 

The sit-downs would occur before baseball's Winter Meetings begin on Monday in San Diego, and Rosenthal says several of the meetings may have already taken place. 

Meeting with all the top shortstops available could be chalked up to due diligence on the Phillies' part. Still, it's an interesting development, especially considering the buzz surrounding Turner since free agency kicked off. 

In November, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported "rumblings" about Turner's desire to sign with the Phillies. Also, during the summer, Phillies' right fielder and 2022 NLCS MVP Bryce Harper called Turner one of the "most underrated" players in MLB, adding that he was "excited to see where he goes next year," per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.