Reds reunion with Eugenio Suárez just forced the Pirates into an awkward reset

One day after the Cincinnati Reds made Eugenio Suárez's signing official, their NL Central rivals emerged in some wild (and somewhat odd) free-agent rumors. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who were the other team in the mix for Suárez's services, are said to be targeting free agent pitcher Framber Valdez.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required), the Pirates are aggressively pursuing Valdez. The left-hander is the top starter left on the free-agent market, and adding him to the mix could make Pittsburgh's starting rotation one of the best in Major League Baseball.

Pirates oddly turn their attention to Framber Valdez after Reds signed Eugenio Suárez

For the past several offseasons, it seems as if Pirates and the Reds have been joined at the hip. Both are small-market franchises who prefer to build from within and would rather extend their own home-grown talent rather than go hunting for big game in free agency.

But both the Reds and Pirates changed things up a bit this offseason. The Reds just secured Suárez on a one-year, $15 million deal and re-signed Emilio Pagán to a two-year, $20 million pact earlier this offseason. The Buccos inked free agent slugger Ryan O'Hearn in free agency and pulled off a trade for Tampa Bay Rays infielder Brandon Lowe.

These latest rumors, however, are very bizarre. Much like the Reds before the addition of Suárez, the Pirates need another bat. Pittsburgh was rumored to be in the hunt for Geno, and some reports suggested that the Pirates even offered more money. One would assume that after missing out on the top free-agent slugger remaining, the Pirates might try to land another bat, not a starting pitcher.

This could also be posturing on the part of the Pirates front office. After swinging and missing on Suárez, giving it the old college try and attempt to sign Valdez would follow an all-too-familiar formula for Pirates fans. Pittsburgh has been linked to a number of big-names this winter, but have really only signed one (O'Hearn).

Adding Suárez didn't put Cincinnati atop the NL Central power rankings, but it definitely got them a seat at the table. Adding Valdez would be a wild pivot on the part of the Pirates, but one that would put them right in line with the Reds.