The Pirates swung a trade turning one pick in today’s MLB draft and a pitcher into two players. The team acquired infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed pitcher Brandon Eisert from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for left-handed pitcher Jaden Woods and their Competitive Balance A round pick, which would have been the 34th overall pick today. Eisert has gone 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 32 strikeouts against 18 walks with six home runs allowed in 27 1/3 innings over 25 outings (four starts) for the White Sox this season. Gonzalez has hit .244with four doubles, two home runs, 17 RBIs and 11 runs scored in 30 games with the White Sox.
The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft starts today to kick off the league’s All-Star Week in Philadelphia. The Chicago White Sox hold the first overall pick and are reportedly still deciding between UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. Most scouts have those three players going in the top three selections in varying order. The Rays, Twins, Giants and Pirates round out the top five picks.
