Latest Shortstop Free Agent Report May Be Good News For Red Sox Fans

The biggest question mark surrounding the Boston Red Sox at the moment certainly is the future of All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

The longtime Boston shortstop is a free agent and there are plenty of teams lining up with massive offers. One of the latest reports even indicated that the Red Sox aren't the favorites to lock Bogaerts down with a long-term deal anymore.

Although that is nerve-racking news for Boston fans, it's still unknown where Bogaerts ultimately end up. With the shortstop free agent market as robust as it is with others like Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, and Dansby Swanson on the market, there are still plenty of decisions to be made.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been heavily tied to Bogaerts so far this offseason, but the latest report may be welcomed by Red Sox fans as the Phillies reportedly are now the favorites to land Turner rather than Bogaerts, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

"I think right now the Phillies are viewed as the favorites," Morosi said on MLB Network. "There are other teams involved certainly, but the fit for Philadelphia is there. They are in a situation where they just made it to the World Series and they might be one player away from being able to win it all in 2023. Trea Turner is said by many to have a preference to play for a team that trains in Florida as he's a native Floridian and friends with Bryce Harper."

While nothing has been decided and there's sure to be plenty of rumors flowing as the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings kick off, if the Phillies were to exit the shortstop market by signing Turner, that would swing open the door more for the Red Sox to get a deal done. 

More MLB: MLB Insider Pegs Red Sox As Landing Spot For Free Agent All-Star Pitcher