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It's not often divisional foes make trades in MLB, but that's what the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds did on Wednesday.
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: INF/OF Tyler Callihan
- Reds get: 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.
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He walks 4.9 batters per nine innings in his MLB career, a bit higher than ideal.
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.
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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.
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