Pirates acquire Jacob Gonzalez, Brandon Eisert from White Sox for No. 34 pick, prospect
The Chicago White Sox aren’t even on the clock yet, and they’ve already had an eventful 2026 amateur draft.
Set to pick first overall when the draft begins on Saturday afternoon, the White Sox acquired the No. 34 pick and a minor-league pitcher, sending infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed pitcher Brandon Eisert to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange.
Pittsburgh sent a competitive-balance pick to Chicago; those are the only draft choices that can be dealt under the current rules.
The White Sox optioned Gonzalez to Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day when they activated All-Star Munetaka Murakami off the injured list.
Eisert is 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings this season.
Who shifted in Keith Law’s last 2026 mock draft?
Keith Law
The White Sox also acquired Triple-A left-handed reliever Jaden Woods from Pittsburgh. Woods combined for 51 strikeouts and a 4.84 ERA in 35 1/3 innings between Double A and Triple A this season.
MLB rated Gonzalez the No. 22 prospect in Chicago’s farm system. He made his major-league debut on May 31 after Murakami went on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain.
Murakami returned to Chicago’s lineup on Friday, going 1-for-5 with four strikeouts in a 14-1 victory over the Athletics.
Gonzalez mostly played first base during his time in the majors, but the bulk of his experience in the minors has come at shortstop. Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin, who signed a nine-year, $140 million extension in April, is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks due to a left ring finger injury.
The 34th pick carries a draft slot value of $2,897,400, which would give the White Sox a bonus pool in excess of $20,000,000. The team’s bonus pool is now $20,489,500.
By acquiring the 34th overall pick in a trade with the Pirates, the White Sox add $2,897,400 to their bonus pool.
That’s up to $20,489,500, officially the largest among the 30 clubs this year. The Pirates (previously at $19,130,700) had the largest bonus pool before this trade.
— Sam Dykstra (@samdykstramilb.bsky.social) July 10, 2026 at 7:50 PM
The White Sox haven’t signaled what they intend to do with the first pick in the draft. They’re expected to select UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vaughn Lackey or Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson with the first pick.
Saturday marks the first time Chicago has held the top pick in the draft since 1977, when they selected Hall of Famer Harold Baines.