The Pirates made a notable move ahead of this weekend’s MLB draft, sending the No. 34 overall pick to the White Sox in a deal that brings back infield prospect Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert.
Chicago also picked up left-handed pitching prospect Jaden Woods in the trade, which was announced Friday.
The swap gives the White Sox a major boost in draft flexibility. Their bonus pool now sits at $20,489,500, the biggest in the 2026 draft, according to Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline. The No. 34 pick, a Competitive Balance Round A selection and one of the few picks that can be traded, carries a slot value of $2,897,400.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, had been sitting on the largest draft pool at a little over $19 million before the deal. After moving the pick, the Pirates now have $16,233,300 in bonus money, which ranks sixth among the 30 clubs.
Gonzalez was ranked as the White Sox’s No. 22 prospect by MLB.com before the trade and reached the majors earlier this season. He was sent back to Triple-A on Friday after Munetaka Murakami came off the injured list.
The 24-year-old has split time between shortstop and first base, and his big-league numbers over the last month were modest: .244/.323/.360 with two home runs and 17 RBIs in 30 games. At Triple-A Charlotte, though, he was far more productive, hitting .317/.419/.668 with 19 homers, 62 RBIs and eight steals across 238 plate appearances before his call-up.
With the White Sox, Gonzalez had been covering first base while Murakami was out. In Pittsburgh, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that he’ll move across the infield and handle shortstop in place of the injured Konnor Griffin.
In Other News...
Tristan Peters Delivers A Rare White Sox Milestone Fans Wont Forget
Tristan Peters gave Rate Field a moment worth filing away for years, turning a routine game against the Athletics into one of the rarest nights in White Sox history. The center fielder completed the cycle with a triple in the seventh inning, a fitting final piece to a performance that put him in a very small club and added another memorable chapter to a season in which he has emerged as a real bright spot for Chicago.
For a team still sorting through its long-term identity, Peters has been one of the more encouraging developments since arriving from Tampa Bay in a cash deal last December. He has been productive across the board and, with this latest milestone, has given White Sox fans something beyond the usual nightly box score to remember, even if the bigger question around his place in the lineup now feels a little more interesting than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Added Serious Draft Firepower With A Surprising Trade
The White Sox added another layer to their draft haul by landing the 34th pick in Saturdays draft, along with the associated slot value, in a trade with Pittsburgh. That move gives Chicago three of the first 41 selections and the largest bonus pool for the 2026 draft, a clear sign the front office is leaning hard into adding young talent and maximizing its flexibility at the top of the board.
Chicago also brought in Triple-A left-hander Jaden Woods, giving the deal a little more than just draft capital. The Pirates, meanwhile, got players they expect to help their major league roster quickly, which is the kind of return that usually makes a trade feel balanced in the moment, even if the long-term payoff is still very much to be determined. [Read more 🡒]