LAS VEGAS – Pirates general manager Ben Cherington made it clear this week that he has no plans to trade newly crowned National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes this offseason. In fact, Pittsburgh is looking to take things in the other direction.

According to sources, the Pirates plan to be spenders on the free-agent market, something they haven’t done over the past decade.

The left side of the infield and the corner outfield spots seem like the most obvious places for the Pirates to target, though the club hasn’t signed a free-agent hitter to a multi-year deal since December 2015, when they gave John Jaso a two-year, $8 million contract.

Signings & Trades

“We have tried,” Cherington said. “It's bound to happen; the odds increase a little bit each offseason with the combina

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