Out of nowhere, the Pirates and Reds made a rare in-division trade, swapping depth with young, controllable players. Pittsburgh acquired Cincinnati’s 19th-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Tyler Callihan, in exchange for right-handed reliever Kyle Nicolas.
The Pirates have once again dealt from their pitching surplus to add more bats. While Callihan doesn’t project as a starter in Pittsburgh, he could serve as a bench guy. Given the spring that Jhostynxon Garcia and Nick Yorke are having, it would be tough for him to earn a spot.
Callihan plays multiple positions, making him even more valuable. He’s primarily a second baseman, with experience in the outfield and corner infield spots. His defense is one of his top attributes. His speed and hit tool are also solid traits.
Last season in Triple-A, Callihan batted .303 with four home runs and a .938 OPS. He stole six bags and drove in 12 runs. Those numbers are pretty strong, but they came in just 24 games. His season was cut short after fracturing his hand during a collision with the wall. Callihan did make his debut with the Reds, going hitless through six plate appearances.
Although he isn’t a big-name prospect or an impact bat, this isn’t a bad trade. Losing Nicolas does hurt the bullpen depth, but Pittsburgh has done a great job developing arms. This new wave of pitching prospects could fill that void. Wilber Dotel has looked great so far, and he could be an emerging option in the bullpen.
Pirates add Reds’ top prospect Tyler Callihan, but lose unpolished reliever in Kyle Nicolas.
Nicolas is coming off a season where he posted a 4.74 ERA with an 8.05 K/9 across 38 innings. His problem was walking too many guys at a 10.8% rate. When Nicolas was throwing consistent strikes, he was a tough pitcher to face. He brought an upper-90s fastball with a strong slider and curveball. It’ll be tough for Nicolas in the Reds’ hitter-friendly ballpark, but they might be able to polish him into a high-leverage reliever.
Callihan is now a name to keep an eye on this spring. He now joins the Pirates’ bench competition and a handful of guys are performing well. This little depth swap could turn into something big down the road. Welcome to Pittsburgh, Callihan!
(Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
