As we sit roughly 12 hours from the 2026 Major League Baseball draft, the White Sox made a late night trade that could have a huge impact on how the draft plays out.
According to Jeff Passan, the White Sox traded Jacob Gonzalez and Brandon Eisert to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for the 34th pick in tomorrow’s draft and minor league reliever Jaden Woods.
Trade news: The Pittsburgh Pirates are acquiring infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert from the Chicago White Sox for the 34th pick in tomorrow's draft and left-handed reliever Jaden Woods, sources tell ESPN. Deal is done.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 11, 2026
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This is a bit surprising, as Gonzalez just finished up a solid first stint in the major leagues, as he hit .244 with two home runs and 11 RBIs over 86 at-bats. After a rough first few seasons in the minor leagues, it was nice to see Gonzalez find success in the majors, as he has been one of the better stories in the organization this season.
However, with Munetaka Murakami returning from the injured list, there isn’t any consistent playing time on the big league roster. Gonzalez is a guy that deserves regular at-bats, and barring any injuries, there simply isn’t room for him to get those at-bats, now or in the future.
Now, Gonzalez will likely get a chance to play everyday with Pittsburgh, and hopefully find the same success he did in his first month in Chicago.
The White Sox now are absolutely loaded in the draft, as they will pick at No. 1, No. 34, and No. 41. Additionally, according to Adrian White of Future Sox, the White Sox will enter tomorrow’s draft with the most bonus pool money in the league, sitting at roughly 20.49 million dollars.
This may allow the White Sox to walk away with three players that have first round grades. With an already young and exciting major league team and a deep minor league farm system, this could set them up for years to come if they can hit on these picks.
On top of the 34th pick, the White Sox picked up a very intriguing pitcher in Jaden Woods. This season in the Pirates organization, Woods has thrown 37.1 innings of 4.58 ERA baseball, striking out an impressive 55 batters.
Jaden Woods was nails today for Indy, 2 innings of no run ball with 4Ks.
Woods is probably the best Left handed option the Pirates have in the Minors. Big 2 plane sinker at 95-97 from a low slot with huge extension. Pairs it well with a gyro slider and nice changeup. pic.twitter.com/9N1uagrwZN
— zack (@piratefan003) July 11, 2026
Woods was a 7th round pick out of the University of Georgia in the 2023 draft and has consistently generated swings and misses in his short minor league career. He has an impressive arsenal with overpowering stuff, making him the exact player you want to work with, as he could end up being a very good back of the ‘pen arm.
While it is sad to see Gonzalez go, the White Sox finally have the depth in their organization to make a move like this, and hopefully it pays off. We wish nothing but the best of luck for Gonzalez in Pittsburgh.
