The White Sox are sending infielder Jacob Gonzalez and reliever Brandon Eisert to the Pirates for lefty Jaden Woods and the No. 34 pick in the draft, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Pittsburgh will part with a minor league arm and its Competitive Balance Round pick to land big-league reinforcements. Both teams have announced the trade.
There was a report in late June that the Pirates were open to moving their CBR-A selection as well as players in their minor league system. They’ve now done both in one deal. Gonzalez debuted this season with the White Sox. He provided near league-average production while playing mostly first base, but was bumped off the roster when Munetaka Murakami returned Friday. Eisert has been a regular in Chicago’s bullpen since last season. He’s scuffled to a 5.93 ERA in 2026.
The trade addresses two of Pittsburgh’s clearest needs. The club lost starting shortstop Konnor Griffin for a couple of months due to a finger injury. The absence of Griffin has pressed utilityman Jared Triolo into a full-time role. Gonzalez isn’t a sure thing, but he possesses much more offensive upside than the glove-first Triolo. He played mostly shortstop at Triple-A this year. The Pirates’ bullpen has the fifth-worst ERA since the start of June. Eisert has missed bats at a career-best 27.4% clip while trimming his walk rate to 6.8%.
“We believe in this team, and we discussed multiple ways to use the compensation pick to strengthen it,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a press release. “Jacob Gonzalez can complement Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo on the left side of the infield in Konnor Griffin’s absence. He’s also a versatile, left-handed hitter who has taken significant steps this season, and who we believe in long-term.”
Chicago took Gonzalez with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft. He had generally underperformed in the minors until breaking out this season. The 24-year-old posted a massive 166 wRC+ in 52 games at Triple-A. Gonzalez slugged 19 home runs and stole eight bases before his call-up. He came into the year with 17 home runs across three pro seasons.
Murakami’s hamstring injury gave Gonzalez a chance to get regular reps at first base with the White Sox. He slashed .244/.323/.360 over 97 plate appearances. Gonzalez recorded 2 Defensive Runs Saved in 29 games at first base. He played one inning at third base and didn’t see any playing time up the middle.
Eisert sits below 90 mph with the four-seamer, but he has a four-pitch mix and gets plenty of extension (95th percentile). His slider and changeup both have whiff rates above 32% this season. Eisert is unlikely to usurp high-leverage southpaws Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery, but he gives manager Don Kelly another option from the left side.
The White Sox have the first pick in Saturday’s draft. They now have another selection at the end of the first round. The Competitive Balance picks are the only ones that can be traded. The league awards them to 15 teams using a formula that considers revenue, record, and market size. Trading for the 34th pick increases Chicago’s draft bonus pool to around $20.5MM, per Passan.
Woods was taken in the seventh round of the 2023 draft. He’s operated almost exclusively as a reliever during his minor league career. The 24-year-old has had some big strikeout seasons, but control has been a problem at times. Woods reached Triple-A for the first time this year. He’s struggled to a 9.31 ERA over 10 appearances, though it’s come with a solid 28.3% strikeout rate.
Photo courtesy of Lexi Thompson and Scott Galvin, Imagn Images
