At Bucs Dugout, I write about what might happen with the Pirates this offseason. While splashy moves are certainly a possibility, I wouldn't hold my breath for them.
↵The offseason market is very cruel to teams like the Pirates, who have to depend on players wanting to come to Pittsburgh, which they generally don't. In the draft, or in midseason trades, players have no choice. Teams have less incentive to trade in the offseason due to the number of free agents available, and free agents don't want to sign with the Pirates unless they don't have any other options or the Bucs are willing to overpay.
↵In the end, then, I think it's likely that a lot of the drama this offseason will focus on the Pirates' decisions about whether to retain current players like Paul Maholm and Ronny Cedeno, and whether or not to trade Joel Hanrahan. Don't expect the Pirates to be big players for top free agents. They might make some offers, but I doubt they'll be successful.