The Pittsburgh Pirates are at it again. And their latest target is the biggest name left on the free agent market, left-hander Framber Valdez.

A person briefed on the matter said the Pirates have emerged as one of the clubs most active in pursuing Valdez, despite numerous attempts to pursue an additional move being thwarted.

Signing the 32-year-old Valdez would strengthen the Pirates’ biggest strength: a starting rotation led by National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skeens. Pittsburgh’s new pitching coach, Bill Murphy, spent most of Valdez’s professional career with him as a minor league and major league coach with the Houston Astros.

But the Pirates could prove to be just another guessing horse for a more competitive team looking to offer Valdez a short-term contract with an opt-out, which he is likely to take over.

The Baltimore Orioles have been rumored to have Valdez all offseason. The Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres continue to pursue starting pitchers. If Valdez’s price drops to an acceptable level, other teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, could also get involved.

Of those clubs, the Braves will lose their highest draft pick (26th overall) for Valdez, who rejected his qualifying offer. The Pirates would sacrifice their current No. 44 overall pick, and they almost certainly would, even on a short-term contract, to acquire a pitcher of Valdez’s quality. They already hold their fifth selection and another at No. 34.

According to league sources, the Pirates continue to pursue offensive reinforcements, with designated hitter Marcell Ozuna among their latest targets. From Kyle Schwarber to Eugenio Suarez, the team was outsmarted in free agent acquisitions this offseason, with only first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn being acquired on a two-year, $29 million contract.

In an effort to improve the league’s worst offense, the Pirates traded two starting pitchers earlier this offseason: Johan Oviedo (for Jostinkson Garcia) and Mike Burrows (for Brandon Lowe). Valdez will join a rotation expected to include Skeens and Mitch Keller, as well as two young starters in Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler.

Murphy was with the Astros for about the same amount of time as Valdez. He joined the organization in 2016, which was Valdez’s first year in the United States after signing with the Astros from the Dominican Republic.