When the Pirates sent Kyle Nicolas to Cincinnati in March to get Tyler Callihan, it barely registered as more than a depth move. Now it looks a lot bigger than that.
Callihan came back to haunt the Reds on Sunday at PNC Park, powering Pittsburgh to a 9-4 win over his former club. His three-run homer in the second inning opened things up and pushed the Pirates ahead 4-0, instantly flipping the tone of the game. It was his first home run since June 10 and snapped a 14-game stretch in which his bat had gone quiet.
That wasn’t the only reason the trade keeps looking better for Pittsburgh. Nicolas is already gone from the Reds organization after being designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, his second DFA in less than a month. What once looked like a modest swap is starting to feel lopsided.
Callihan has given the Pirates far more than a little bench insurance. Since making his debut on May 28, he has played six positions, and on Sunday he was out in left field.
Earlier in his big-league run, he even went deep against Shohei Ohtani for his first MLB homer. Pittsburgh has gotten power, versatility and real lineup depth from him, which matters even more with Oneil Cruz sidelined.
Before Cruz’s injury, he was tracking toward a historic 40-homer, 60-steal season. Replacing that kind of production was never going to fall on one player.
Not Jake Mangum. Not Esmerlyn Valdez.
Not Callihan alone.
But together, the Pirates have pieced things together well enough to keep moving. Mangum has been in center field almost every day and has hit .328 since June 10.
Valdez has brought serious pop. Callihan has supplied corner power and the ability to move around the diamond.
On Sunday, Callihan and Valdez combined for five RBI.
Cincinnati had seen Callihan as a possible corner outfield bat with power, especially with Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz blocking spots in the infield. The Reds had already begun shifting him around the outfield in the minors and in the Arizona Fall League. Pittsburgh saw the same tools and gave him a chance to run with them.
He may not be a star, but he’s exactly the kind of player a team can use: cheap, athletic, versatile and dangerous enough to change a game with one swing. On Sunday, he did it against the team that let him go.
In Other News...
Pirates Prospect Estuar Suero Just Became A Much Tougher Story To Swallow
Estuar Suero had been one of the more intriguing lower-level names in the Pirates system since coming over in the 2023 deadline deal with San Diego, a prospect whose appeal centered on raw power and the idea that there might still be something worth uncovering with more at-bats. Even with the interruptions, there was enough thump in the profile to keep him on the radar, which is why his absence from the field since April had already made him a difficult player to place on a development track.
Baseball America had recently added to that intrigue by tagging Suero as a name to watch and noting his 60-grade power, a reminder of why the Pirates had reason to stay patient. But the latest turn leaves the organization with a very different kind of question surrounding a player whose career has been sidetracked more by availability than opportunity, and whose next step is no longer part of the usual prospect conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Fans May Hate Where Ben Cherington Momentum Is Heading
Ben Cheringtons standing in Pittsburgh has rarely been simple, but the latest stretch has at least given the front office some real momentum to point to. He is under contract through 2027, and the Pirates have been better in several meaningful areas despite the injuries that have kept testing their depth, including improved run production, stronger work from the rotation and a better run differential. Cherington has also been active in trying to upgrade the roster, with the bullpen still a clear area of focus as the club keeps trying to move from encouraging to truly competitive.
The more interesting part is where all of this can lead if the Pirates keep trending in the right direction. With discussions ongoing around how to push the roster forward, the organization is weighing not just immediate help but the longer-term structure of the front office as well. For a fan base that has spent plenty of time looking for progress signs, the possibility of the current build getting even more institutional backing is the kind of development that can change the temperature around the entire season. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Jones Sounds Off As Pirates Fears Start To Grow
Jared Jones return from internal brace surgery has been bumpy enough that the numbers are starting to tell the story for the Pirates. Through six starts back, he owns a 5.76 ERA over 25 innings, with hitters batting .270 against him and a 1.44 WHIP, and his latest outing against the Reds only added to the concern. He gave up four runs in all, including a solo home run, and the kind of shaky fifth inning that can turn a manageable night into one the pitcher wants back.
Jones did not try to hide the fact that he is searching for answers, even as he maintained that his velocity and movement are still where he wants them. The stuff is there, but the results have lagged, and for a Pirates rotation trying to find stability, that gap is getting harder to ignore. How quickly Jones can turn those tools into consistent outs will shape whether this is a temporary setback or something more unsettling. [Read more 🡒]