You see trades in baseball all the time.
And especially in the summer, it’s trade season, after all.
But you rarely see a draft pick dealt in the way you do in basketball, football and hockey, but the Pirates and White Sox combined to make a fairly unusual trade on Friday — one day before the MLB draft.
Pittsburgh acquired infielder Jacob Gonzalez and reliever Brandon Eisert from the White Sox in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Jaden Woods and the No. 34 overall pick in the 2026 draft, ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported.
While Gonzalez and Eisert strengthen Pittsburgh’s infield and bullpen depth, the biggest storyline might be the inclusion of a draft pick, which is from the Competitive Balance Round A between Rounds 1 and 2.
Unlike the NBA and NFL, where draft picks are routinely exchanged as trade currency, MLB rarely sees selections change hands.
The only picks that can be traded are Competitive Balance selections, which are awarded to certain small-market and lower-revenue clubs.
Standard first-round, second-round and later selections remain non-transferable under MLB rules, making deals like this uncommon.
So, Pittsburgh essentially used one of the sport’s few tradable draft assets to acquire two players who can help more immediately, rather than waiting years for a prospect to develop.
The Pirates already have one of the best farm systems in baseball.
Gonzalez, a 24-year-old shortstop, was selected 15th overall by Chicago in the 2023 draft after starring at Ole Miss.
After an uneven start to his professional career, Gonzalez has enjoyed a breakout 2026 campaign at Triple-A Charlotte, batting .317 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs in just 52 games before earning a promotion to the majors.
With the White Sox at the MLB level, he’s hitting .244 across 86 at-bats with two homers and 17 RBIs.
Eisert gives Pittsburgh another left-handed bullpen arm. The 28-year-old debuted in the majors in 2024 after spending several seasons in the Blue Jays’ organization before joining the White Sox.
By acquiring the No. 34 overall selection, the White Sox significantly increased their draft bonus pool, giving them the largest signing pool in baseball entering this weekend.
The trade also brought back Woods, a left-handed relief prospect who has yet to debut in the majors but has been productive in Double-A with a 3.16 ERA this season.
The draft starts Saturday at 1 p.m. in Philadelphia.
