Reds Add Pitching Depth, Acquire Kyle Nicolas in Trade With Division Rival

The Cincinnati Reds have acquired right-handed relief pitcher Kyle Nicolas from the Pittsburgh Pirates for utility player Tyler Callihan.

Nicolas, 27, appeared in 31 games for the Pirates last season with an ERA of 4.74 in 37 innings. He struck out 34 and walked 18.

Callihan played well in the minors league to earn a promotion last season, but was limited to just five games with the Reds when he broke two bones in his forearm after crashing into the outfield wall in a game against the Atlanta Braves.

Callihan was Cincinnati's No. 19-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

"Once again healthy, Callihan can get back to showing that his bat belongs in a big league lineup," MLB Pipeline wrote. "He still can hit the ball very hard from the left side of the plate, with a max EV of nearly 110 mph at Triple-A last year. He can get to his power at times, mostly to his pull side, and while there is some swing-and-miss, when he’s locked in, he offsets that by drawing a fair amount of walks. Especially over the past two years, his splits have not been great against lefties, pointing perhaps to a future as the long end of a platoon."

May 3, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tyler Callihan (32) hits a RBI single in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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The Reds were busy this offseason adding to their bullpen, re-signing Emilo Pagan, signing relievers, Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson, while also trading Gavin Lux for left-hander Brock Burke.

However, Luis Mey, Zach Maxwell, Graham Ashcraft and others have really struggled out of the gate this spring. Callihan didn’t appear to have a clear path to consistent playing time, while the Reds clearly saw an opportunity to add another potential option to their bullpen. As the old adage goes, you can never have too much pitching.

Nicolas has one minor league option remaining.

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