Reds-Orioles trade validates another key offseason Pirates decision

The Cincinnati Reds' decision to trade Kyle Nicolas to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations on Thursday probably won't generate many headlines across baseball. For the Pittsburgh Pirates, however, it serves as another reminder that one of their quieter offseason moves is looking smarter by the day.

Back in March, the Pirates dealt Nicolas to Cincinnati in exchange for utility player Tyler Callihan. At the time, it was a relatively minor transaction that flew under the radar. Nicolas possessed intriguing velocity and raw stuff, but after years of inconsistency, Pittsburgh opted to move on.

Just three months later, the Pirates appear to have won that gamble as Nicolas heads to his third organization since March after being designated for assignment by the Reds. The 26-year-old posted a 5.17 ERA at Triple-A Louisville while walking 17 batters in just 15.2 innings.

While Nicolas' fastball remains impressive, results simply haven't followed. Control issues have plagued him throughout his professional career, and they continue to prevent him from turning premium velocity into sustainable production.

Pirates were right to acquire Tyler Callihan and move on from Kyle Nicolas when they did

Meanwhile, Callihan is already providing value at the major league level in Pittsburgh. The versatile 25-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis just last week and has wasted no time making an impact off the bench.

In limited action, Callihan has recorded a hit, a run scored, an RBI and two walks while showcasing the defensive versatility that attracted the Pirates to him in the first place. Callihan can play both the infield and outfield, giving manager Don Kelly another flexible bench option for a Pirates team that has already dealt with injuries to the likes of Konnor Griffin, Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo and Ryan O'Hearn at various points throughout hte season.

General manager Ben Cherington has received plenty of criticism over the years for some of his roster decisions, and deservedly so, but this trade deserves recognition as a win. It's still early, and Callihan will need to continue proving himself at the major league level. But the fact that Nicolas has already been discarded by a second organization while Callihan is still contributing on the Pirates' active roster is difficult to ignore.

For now, the Orioles-Reds trade serves as further validation that the Pirates identified the better long-term fit and made the right call when they chose Tyler Callihan over Kyle Nicolas.

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