Last offseason showed that the Pittsburgh Pirates are at least somewhat willing to fix some of the problems that we've seen over much of the past few decades.
To say everything went perfectly would be unfair, but this season was better, and much of that was because Pittsburgh finally showed a willingness to spend some of its money. Even at this year's trade deadline, addressing bullpen needs, the Pirates didn't go the cheap route, which I can credit them for.
Ultimately, however, it still didn't end up in a playoff appearance, so in that simple sense, the year was a disappointment.
At the same time, it gave the Pirates the blueprint for what needs to change. There's absolutely no excuse for the front office not to spend some money this year, even with the expected lockout.
The Pirates have all the tools to do so, which is why going after a guy like Seiya Suzuki or Ian Happ could make a ton of sense.
Bleacher Report recently suggested the Pirates could be interested in either guy, but the question is whether Pittsburgh is willing to spend the necessary funds to land a player of Happ's or Suzuki's caliber.
"The Pirates showed a newfound willingness to spend last winter, though their top priority this offseason is expected to be re-signing Brandon Lowe. That will likely cost them an average annual value of $20 million on a multi-year deal. Even with their newfound financial flexibility, they probably only have one signing on that level on the horizon this winter, making a high-profile outfield upgrade more of a fallback plan."
Suzuki and Happ are similar in one simple regard: both can play the outfield and have above-average power. I don't think it's wrong to say that Happ might be a better fit because he's a switch-hitter, but I actually love what Suzuki can do offensively.
If Pittsburgh could bring back a guy like Brandon Lowe and also add one of these two guys, I think it would be a plus offseason. Other moves would still be needed, but it would be a step in the right direction, and unfortunately, that's all we can really ask for right now.