The Cincinnati Reds have acquired an intriguing young reliever with a big fastball in a trade with the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates, parting with a versatile hitting prospect.
Right-hander Kyle Nicolas will head to the Reds in exchange for infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan. Nicolas has spent parts of the past three seasons in Pittsburgh’s bullpen. He’s compiled a 4.68 ERA across 86 appearances, but he boasts a high-octane heater and a swing-and-miss slider. Callihan came up for a brief MLB debut in 2025. A collision with the outfield wall resulted in a broken arm and ended his season after four big-league games.
Nicolas will compete for a spot in the Reds’ bullpen this season. It’s an unproven group that includes several new names for 2026. The righty still has a minor league option remaining, so he could be stashed in Triple-A if he doesn’t make the team.
Cincinnati Reds Add Hard-Throwing Kyle Nicolas Via Trade
The Miami Marlins selected Nicolas with a competitive balance pick in the 2020 draft. After a year in the organization, he was dealt to the Pirates along with right-hander Zach Thompson and outfielder Connor Scott for catcher Jacob Stallings.
Nicolas entered the Pittsburgh system as a starter. After posting middling numbers in Double-A, he was shifted to a relief role. Nicolas made 23 appearances at Triple-A in 2023, with 17 of those outings coming out of the bullpen. He reached the big leagues that season. The righty was knocked around for seven earned runs in 5.1 innings, but did notch a strong 26.9% strikeout rate in the small sample.
A dominant first month at Indianapolis in 2024 earned Nicolas another call-up to the majors. He delivered a 0.84 ERA across nine games with the Indians, awarding him the opportunity to return to the big-league squad. Nicolas was solid in 51 games out of the Pittsburgh bullpen, recording a 3.95 ERA with just over a strikeout per inning. He was less effective this past year, stumbling to a 4.74 ERA across 38 innings.
Kyle Nicolas Flashes Upside With 100 MPH Heater, Devastating Breaking Balls
The stats aren’t overwhelming for Nicolas, but the arsenal has the makings of an elite reliever. The righty sat 97.6 mph with the fastball in 2025. He’s touched 100 mph with the four-seamer. Nicolas flaunts a pair of bat-missing breaking balls to go with the fastball. His slider averaged 90.4 mph and recorded a tremendous 45.1% whiff rate. Nicolas’ curveball was even better, garnering a 50% whiff rate.
The fact that Nicolas had a 12% swinging-strike rate last season is a bit surprising considering how often his breaking balls missed bats. The main culprits seem to be the fastball and the pitch mix. Nicolas’ four-seamer has high-end velocity, but it only generated a 14.8% whiff rate. He also used it 50.8% of the time. There’s a path for more strikeouts if Nicolas makes a tweak to his repertoire, prioritizing the slider and curveball a bit more.
Cincinnati brought back closer Emilio Pagan on a two-year, $20 million deal. The club also added Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson in free agency. The Reds acquired Brock Burke in a three-team trade that sent Gavin Lux to the Tampa Bay Rays. Nicolas is likely ticketed for Triple-A, but a strong performance there could earn him a big-league opportunity.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Reds Land Reliever With 100 MPH Fastball In Trade With Pirates appeared first on Heavy Sports.