What happened: The White Sox traded infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert to the Pirates for the 34th pick in Saturday's draft, Pittsburgh's Competitive Balance selection, plus Triple-A lefty Jaden Woods. Chicago is reportedly eyeing prep shortstop Landon Thome, son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome, with the pick. Gonzalez was pulled from Triple-A Charlotte's game Friday roughly two hours before the trade was announced.
Why it matters: Gonzalez, Chicago's 2023 first-round pick, had broken out at Triple-A Charlotte, slashing .317/.419/.669 with 19 homers before his offense sagged over 30 games with the White Sox to a 93 OPS+ and 0.4 WAR. The same Gonzalez who hit his first career home run for Chicago last month now heads to Pittsburgh. Eisert led all White Sox pitchers with 72 appearances as a rookie in 2025, but his ERA climbed to 5.93 over 25 games in 2026, and his exit means a Triple-A call-up to fill his active-roster spot.
By the numbers: Thome is ranked No. 33 on Keith Law's draft board for The Athletic and No. 34 on MLB Pipeline, the second-ranked prospect in Illinois. He hit .533 with eight homers, 35 RBIs, 49 steals and a 1.676 OPS as a senior at Nazareth Academy. The No. Woods, 24, has a 3.16 ERA over 17 games since his June promotion to Triple-A, though his WHIP has climbed to 1.655 over 10 games at the level.
What to watch: The White Sox are expected to announce Eisert's Triple-A replacement Sunday. Saturday's draft will show whether Chicago can pry Thome away from his Florida State commitment.