Pirates' potential Cubs free-agent target Seiya Suzuki comes with an expensive reality check

It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Pirates' offense was not right down the stretch this year. After leading the league in runs scored in the first half (516), the Bucs fell all the way to 29th (251) after the All-Star break.

That kind of complete and utter collapse doesn't happen without reason, and there's a big one hanging over the Pirates' heads: Their collective struggles against left-handed pitching. The team's .701 OPS against southpaws ranked 18th across the entire season, and that marked slipped even further in the second half to .689.

The good news is that a potential savior is set to hit free agency in the coming weeks and he's already been connected to the Pirates in various rumors. That player is Seiya Suzuki, who would not only greatly lengthen Don Kelly's lineup — he posted a 134 wRC+ this year and owns a career .867 OPS against lefties — but also weaken a division rival (the Cubs) in the process of signing him.

Of course, because he's such a strong hitter (and defender), he's going to cost a lot of money. And, as is usually the case with this franchise, that could rule the Pirates out of the running.

Pirates can make a serious push for Seiya Suzuki, but only if they're willing to bet the entire offseason on him

As nice as it would be to see the Pirates playing in the deep end of the free-agent waters, there is at least a case to be made to let Ben Cherington keep making more calculated swings after his relatively successful offseason a year ago.

Brandon Lowe — who needs his own new contract this winter — proved to be a season-altering, culture-defining addition. Ryan O'Hearn wound up as a reliable middle-of-the-order threat. Even Jake Magnum played a key role at times in the outfield when others went down with injury.

Then again, Marcell Ozuna was... none of those things. And that's putting it generously.

Suzuki is as sure of a bet as there is in free agency this year, but that success also means numerous other teams will be vying for his services. Considering how weak the rest of the class looks in terms of position players, that is likely to push his contract into nine-figure territory — an uncomfortable total for a 32-year-old.

Of course, we know that the Pirates are willing to open up the purse strings for the right slugger. They made a lucrative offer for Kyle Schwarber a year ago, who was the same age then that Suzuki is now. Plus, by virtue of his excellent right-field defense and prowess against lefties, there's a good case to be made that the latter is actually a better fit for this team than Schwarber ever was.

Whether or not the Bucs can make a serious attempt to sign the longtime Cubs star might ultimately come down to a question only Cherington himself can answer: Do you go all-in on one star, or settle for a collection of affordable offensive gambles?

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