GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- A modest swap could pay dividends down the road.
That’s the plan, at least.
The Reds acquired right-hander Kyle Nicolas from Pittsburgh on Wednesday, bringing in the hard-throwing reliever in exchange for prospect and utility man Tyler Callihan. Nicolas won’t join Cincinnati's spring camp until after his time with Team Italy is complete at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall said the 27-year-old Nicolas has been on the team’s radar for some time, and the Pirates had previously expressed interest in Callihan. When the opportunity arose to complete the deal, it was an opportunity Krall said the club “had to make.”
He stressed the trade provides both immediate and long-term depth for the bullpen, especially considering relievers Caleb Ferguson and Brock Burke are eligible for free agency in 2027. Closer Emilio Pagán returned on a two-year contract in December but can opt out of his contract after this year.
“For now, we have a lot of guys that are competing for the last couple spots in the bullpen.” Krall said. “We also know that we're going to build our bullpen year in, and year out. We have, at the end of this year, a group of guys that are going to be free agents in that 'pen, so it was a move that we looked at for now, but then also for beyond this year.”
The bullpen has struggled at times in camp. The relievers’ collective ERA of 7.23 entering play Thursday ranks last among all MLB teams, while their 1.69 WHIP is 29th. For the sake of comparison, the Pirates boast the league’s best Spring Training ERA among relief pitchers (2.47), while the Yankees’ WHIP of 1.16 is tops.
Cincinnati relievers rank 13th overall with 49 runs allowed, though they have worked just 61 innings heading into Thursday’s action, which is the second fewest of any team in Spring Training (trailing only the Mets' 54 1/3 innings).
For what it’s worth, the bullpen’s 85 strikeouts are the fifth most this spring, and Nicolas averages about one strikeout per inning, recording 96 over 98 innings pitched in his career.
Nicolas boasts a three-pitch arsenal that’s dominated by his four-seamer, which averaged 97.6 mph last season. The opposition particularly struggled against his curveball, as it managed just one hit in 27 plate appearances. His slider, which rounds things out with an average speed of 90.4 mph in 2025, induced 10 strikeouts a year ago.
Nicolas’ 34 strikeouts were split evenly among right-and-left-handed hitters, and of the 34 hits he allowed, three were home runs.
Reds manager Terry Francona said he was able to speak with Nicolas on Wednesday and told the right-hander to enjoy the international tournament before turning his attention back to camp, so the team isn’t yet sure when he’ll arrive in Goodyear.
"We’ve got to respect the fact that he's doing the WBC,” Francona said. “Then he’s got to go to Bradenton (Fla.), pick up his life, and then come out here.
"When it's right, he'll be here, and he seems excited to be here.”
He also said Nicolas' performance at the Classic will not factor into decisions with how he’s used when he does suit up for Cactus League ball.
Nicolas has not allowed a run in two innings of work with the Pirates this spring, having most recently appeared in Pittsburgh’s 6-1 win over Baltimore on Feb. 27.
"That’ll be fun to watch,” Francona said of Nicolas in the WBC, “but we just want to get to know him more than anything.”
Krall said the loss of Callihan, who has been in the system since Cincinnati selected him in the third round of the 2019 draft, doesn’t impact the Reds’ infield plans.
In the end, the reward of a bullpen boost outweighed the risk of losing a promising budding infielder who, in all likelihood, had limited opportunities to move into a regular role in the immediate future.
“"Nicolas] was a guy we could get that has a power arm, and he has a chance to pitch in the back of the bullpen,” Krall said. “We felt it was a move we had to make for now, and the future.”