The White Sox send a center fielder Jacob Gonzalez and a reliever Brandon Eisert to the Pirates on the left Jaden Woods and the No. 34 pick in the draft, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. Pittsburgh will part with the minor league arm and its Competitive Balance Round pick in favor of the big league. Both teams announced the trade.
There was a report in late June that the Pirates were open to moving CBR-A nominees as well as players from their minor league program. Now they have both done it in one accord. Gonzalez started this season with the White Sox. He provided league-average production while playing mostly first base, but was delisted there Munetaka Murakami it’s back on friday. Eisert has been a regular in Chicago’s bullpen since last season. He had a 5.93 ERA in 2026.
The trade addresses two clear needs for Pittsburgh. The club lost the first stop Connor Griffin several months due to a finger injury. Griffin’s absence has put pressure on the assistant Jared Triolo in a full-time role. Gonzalez isn’t a sure thing, but he has more offensive stuff than Triolo’s first glove. He played mostly shortstop in Triple-A this year. The Pirates bullpen has the fifth-worst ERA since the start of June. Eisert missed bats at a career-best 27.4% clip while cutting his walk rate to 6.8%.
“We believe in this group, and we have discussed many ways to use the compensation option to strengthen it,” said Pirates general manager Ben Cherington in a press release.Jacob Gonzalez it can be perfect Nick Gonzales again Jared Triolo on the left side of the infield in Connor GriffinAbsence. He’s also a left-handed batsman who has made significant strides this season, and one we believe in for a long time..”
Chicago took Gonzalez with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft. In general, he did not do well in the minors until he broke out this season. The 24-year-old posted a whopping 166 wRC+ in 52 games at Triple-A. Gonzalez scored 19 runs and stole eight bases before being called up. He entered the year with 17 home runs in three professional seasons.
Murakami’s hamstring injury gave Gonzalez a chance to get regular reps early on with the White Sox. He slashed .244/.323/.360 over 97 plate appearances. Gonzalez recorded Defensive Runs saved in 29 starts. He played one inning at third base and saw no playing time in center field.
Eisert stays under 90 mph with a four-seamer, but has a four-pitch mix and gets more extension (95th percentile). His slider and changeup both have strikeout rates over 32% this season. Eisert is unlikely to usurp the high-profile southpaws Gregory Soto again Mason Montgomerybut he gives manager Don Kelly another option from the left side.
The White Sox had the first pick in Saturday’s draft. Now they have another election at the end of the first round. Competitive Balance selections are the only ones that can be sold. The league awards the 15 teams using a formula that takes into account revenue, record, and market size. The trade of 34 picks increases Chicago’s draft bonus pool to nearly $20.5MM, per Passan.
Woods was taken in the seventh round of the 2023 draft. He worked almost exclusively as a reliever during his minor league career. The 24-year-old has had big hitting seasons, but control has been an issue at times. Woods reached Triple-A for the first time this year. He struggled to a 9.31 ERA over 10 appearances, though it came with a solid 28.3% strikeout rate.
Photo courtesy of Lexi Thompson and Scott Galvin, Imagn Images
