Pirates recall former top reliever after spring controversy, demote Thomas Harrington

Out of nowhere on the Pirates off-day, Thomas Harrington was demoted to Triple-A. His cold start to his career not only took himself out of Pittsburgh, but took the Pirates out of a potential day one draft pick.

The Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) is a way for teams to promote prospects earlier instead of the typical timeframe around May, typically saving a year of service time to add a year of control to their contracts. The Pirates did this with Paul Skenes, delaying his promotion to save a year of control, which was eventually worthless once he won the Rookie of the Year award.

Harrington, on the other hand, was given a chance in Pittsburgh earlier than Skenes, ultimately setting him up to earn the Pirates a draft pick. If he would have won the Rookie of the Year race or finished top three in the MVP or Cy Young voting , the Pirates would have been awarded a draft pick in between rounds one and two. This was only possible because he entered 2025 as a MLB Top 100 prospect.

Since Skenes was promoted in May, it took him out of the criteria needed to get this pick, despite the award win.

Unfortunately with his demotion to Triple-A, Harrington loses the opportunity to earn the Pirates the draft pick, significantly hindering his ability to build up the proper service time. The slow start may have signaled to front office that the chances were slim, following his start of a 10.13 ERA, 8.01 FIP, and 2.00 WHIP.

Pirates lose chances of draft pick with Thomas Harrington demotion; Kyle Nicolas was recalled to fill his place in Pittsburgh.

According to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Pirates will promote Kyle Nicolas from Triple-A to fill in for Harrington in the bullpen. Nicolas was an option for the bullpen out of spring training, but was demoted to Indianapolis as one key issue lingered with his game. Pirates fans roared when the team opted to demote a possible high-leverage option, but still, it was clear the team believed Nicolas had plenty to work on.

His lack of command is actually preventing him from becoming an elite reliever, as his tools are very strong, but walks have prevented him from taking the next step. In 2024, Nicolas posted a 3.95 ERA with a 9.05 K/9, but added a 1.50 WHIP, stemming from a 12.5% walk rate and .245 opposing batting average.

Nicolas brings an upper-90s fastball with two other breaking balls that generate a lot of swings and misses (a slider with a 44.7% whiff rate and curveball at 37.7% in 2024). When he can deliver them around the plate, he is tough to hit, and the Pirates are hoping he can find a groove with his promotion. His Triple-A numbers were all over the place, with a bad 11.57 ERA and 5.91 BB/9, yet his 15.43 K/9 is excellent.

This Harrington move is unfortunate, especially considering the possibility of getting a draft pick just outside the first round. The demotion is somewhat warranted, though, as his struggles are not helping Pittsburgh, a team that is already three games below .500. The Pirates need Nicolas to be a positive replacement in the meantime.