What happened: The Pirates acquired infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-hander Brandon Eisert from the White Sox in exchange for pitching prospect Jaden Woods and the No. 34 overall pick in the 2026 draft, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Gonzalez, 24, batted .317 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs in 52 games at Triple-A Charlotte this season before hitting .244 with two homers in 86 at-bats with Chicago. Eisert, 28, debuted in the majors in 2024 after coming up through the Toronto Blue Jays' system.
Why it matters: Competitive Balance selections are the only picks MLB teams can trade, making Friday's deal a rarity compared to the NBA and NFL, where draft capital changes hands routinely. Pittsburgh used one of its few tradable assets to add immediate infield and bullpen depth rather than wait on a prospect, building on the same Jacob Gonzalez who smashed his first career MLB home run for Chicago last month. The White Sox, meanwhile, now hold the largest signing bonus pool in baseball entering the weekend.
By the numbers: Gonzalez: .317/19 HR/62 RBI in 52 games at Triple-A Charlotte; .244 with two homers and 17 RBIs in 86 at-bats with the White Sox. Woods, the prospect heading back to Chicago, has a 3.16 ERA at Double-A and has yet to make his MLB debut.
What to watch: The MLB draft begins Saturday at 1 p.m. in Philadelphia, where the White Sox will use their expanded bonus pool from the No. 34 pick.