Pirates trade No. 34 pick for return that raises even bigger questions

Well, it happened. The Pittsburgh Pirates finally traded the No. 34 pick. And somehow, the return is even more underwhelming than the month of rumors that preceded it.

Pittsburgh is sending left-handed pitching prospect Jaden Woods and its Competitive Balance Round A selection in Saturday's Draft to the Chicago White Sox for infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-hander Brandon Eisert, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The bar for Ben Cherington was already on the floor. Somehow, he tripped over it.

Gonzalez is at least the more intriguing piece. The 24-year-old was the 15th overall pick in 2023 and posted an OPS near 1.100 at Triple-A Charlotte this season. He has more than held his own since reaching the Majors, batting .244 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 30 games. He's also making only $780,000 as a pre-arbitration player and isn't eligible for salary arbitration until 2029.

Passan reported that the Pirates plan to play Gonzalez at shortstop while Konnor Griffin recovers from a torn tendon in his finger. That detail may explain the trade, but it doesn't make the return any less disappointing.

Ben Cherington prioritizes short-term Konnor Griffin replacement over much-needed bullpen help in underwhelming Pirates-White Sox trade

For months, the Pirates’ greatest and most obvious need has been the bullpen. The No. 34 pick was reportedly being offered around the league for a good Major League reliever. Instead, Pittsburgh appears to have prioritized temporarily filling Griffin’s spot with a player who had just been optioned back to Triple-A after the White Sox activated Munetaka Murakami off the IL.

Eisert joins a bullpen desperate for help, but nothing about his performance suggests he is the high-impact addition Pittsburgh needed. The 28-year-old has a 5.93 ERA, 32 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP in 27.1 Major League innings this season.

Eisert is earning $820,000, remains pre-arbitration eligible and is under club control through 2030. Unfortunately, being cheap and controllable doesn't make him a reliable late-inning reliever.

The Pirates also surrendered Woods, a 24-year-old lefty with 43 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings in 2026. He has posted a 4.84 ERA over 35.1 combined innings between Double- and Triple-A this season. More importantly, they surrendered a top-35 draft pick carrying a slot value near $2.9 million in a class praised for its depth.

That pick could have produced another premium prospect or allowed Pittsburgh to creatively spread its record-setting bonus pool elsewhere in the draft. Instead, Cherington turned it into a short-term injury replacement and a reliever with an ERA approaching six.

This is exactly why the Pirates’ decision to shop the pick was so dangerous. A rare, premium asset demanded a meaningful Major League return — ideally a dependable, high-leverage reliever or a controllable everyday bat. Gonzalez and Eisert are depth pieces with upside, not difference-makers.

The Pirates needed help. They also needed Cherington to maximize one of the most valuable trade chips available to him. He did neither. Gonzalez may help, and Eisert may stabilize something. But for a rare asset with this much potential value, “may help” is a painfully disappointing outcome.

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