Pirates, Reds make surprise trade swapping a pitcher for a hitter originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s not often divisional foes make trades in MLB, but that’s what the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds did on Wednesday.
Advertisement
The Pirates are sending out a pitcher in exchange for a utility player to add to their lineup depth.
The deal, announced by Pittsburgh:
Pirates get:Â INF/OF Tyler Callihan
Reds get:Â RHP Kyle Nicolas
Nicolas was originally a second-round pick by the Miami Marlins in the 2020 MLB Draft from Ball State. He attended high school at powerhouse Massillon Jackson in Ohio.
The 27-year old, 6-foot-3 right-hander has pitched in 86 MLB games, all in relief. He has a 4.68 career ERA.
In 2025, Nicolas had a 4.74 ERA and struck out 8.1 batters per nine innings.
MORE:Â Reds reportedly sign 12-year old for $2.8 million
He walks 4.9 batters per nine innings in his MLB career, a bit higher than ideal.
Advertisement
Callihan made his MLB debut in 2025.
He was originally a third-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of a high school in the Jacksonville area, taken by the Reds and with Cincinnati until this deal.
Callihan went 1-for-6 in his brief MLB stint in 2025.
MORE:Â This Mets phenom ate 900 raw eggs in a month to develop his 100 MPH fastball
At Triple-A Louisville, Callihan missed most of the season, but when he played, he had a .303 batting average and .938 OPS.
His career minor league OPS is .749, likely more in line with his skill level as a potential future utility guy.
This deal is more about depth than anything, but it’s still fascinating that the Pirates and Reds convened on such a move.
Advertisement
More MLB news: