By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
It appears Lance Lynn inking a one-year, $12 million deal with the Minnesota Twins on Saturday was the domino needed to fall to help resolve the long-standing speculation this offseason on where — and when — 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta will sign.
Free agency talks involving Arrieta are now "heating up," according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, who says the eight-year veteran is "expected to sign in the next couple of days."
Many teams in addition to the Phillies have been interested in Arrieta this offseason, more recently the San Diego Padres. The Phillies, however, are looming as the "favorite" to sign Arrieta, per Nightengale's Sunday afternoon report.
Nightengale writes:
The Philadelphia Phillies have emerged as perhaps the strongest suitors for Arrieta as Opening Day looms less than three weeks away, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because negotiations are ongoing. … The Phillies, who struck early in free agency by signing first baseman Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million deal, lurked late for Arrieta with an eye toward 2019 and beyond, when they are expected to more aggressively contend for a playoff berth.
On Thursday, Bovada released the latest odds to sign Arrieta. The Phillies were placed fourth at 9/2, behind the Milwaukee Brewers (7/4), Washington Nationals (5/2) and Padres (11/4).
Arrieta has thrown at least 30 starts in each of his last three seasons as a member of the Chicago Cubs, including his Cy Young Award season where he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA and 236-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 229 innings.
