Pirates Trade for Jacob Gonzalez: A Simple Breakdown and His Story

What Happened in the Trade?

Right before the big MLB Draft (think of it like a giant yearly schoolyard pick for baseball players), the Pittsburgh Pirates made a swap with the Chicago White Sox.

• The Pirates got:
  • Jacob Gonzalez (a young player)
  • Brandon Eisert (a left-handed relief pitcher, meaning he comes in to pitch late in games)
• The White Sox got:
  • The Pirates’ special draft pick (Competitive Balance A round, No. 34 overall)
  • Jaden Woods (a lefty pitching prospect, or a young player they hope becomes good)

Important Point: This trade happened on the eve (the night before) of the MLB Draft, which is a very busy time for teams!

Who Is Jacob Gonzalez?

Jacob is 24 years old. The White Sox picked him 15th overall in the first round of the 2023 draft when he played at Ole Miss (a college). He was having a super good year at Triple-A Charlotte (a level just below the big leagues).

His Minor League Stats This Year (ELI5: How he did in the "practice" league)

In 53 games in the minors, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound left-handed hitter:

• Batting average: .320 (got a hit in about 1 of every 3 tries)
• On-base percentage: .422 (got on base a lot)
• Slugging: .675 (hit for power)
• 12 doubles (two-base hits)
• 19 home runs (big hits over the fence)
• 63 RBIs (helped teammates score)
• 43 runs scored
• Played all four infield spots: 35 games at shortstop, 6 as designated hitter, 5 at first base, 5 at second base, 2 at third base

Important Point: This was his best professional season ever — better than any before!

His Big League Debut

Jacob first played in the major leagues on May 31. In 30 games for the White Sox:

• Batting average: .244
• OPS: .683 (a mix of getting on base and hitting power)
• 4 doubles, 2 homers, 17 RBIs
• Played mostly first base (24 starts)
• The Pirates expect him to play shortstop and first base for them.

Jacob Gonzalez’s Interview: In His Own Words

We asked Jacob some questions. Here are his simple answers:

Were you shocked to be traded?

"I don’t know. It’s crazy. I didn’t really think much of it. I didn’t think I’d get traded. I thought maybe towards the end, closer to the trade deadline. If the White Sox started winning some games, I thought they could move me to get someone. It was a shock. I’m happy for the opportunity."

Were you worried the White Sox might draft a shortstop?

"No, because they already have their shortstop, Colson Montgomery, so it’s not going to matter anyways. You’ve got to be able to play other positions, and I can play all four infield spots. I just needed to swing my way into the lineup and help the team any way I could."

What was your wild weekend like?

"Yeah, it’s been crazy. I got optioned on Thursday from Chicago. I asked if I could go back quickly and start playing so I could play during the weekend so I could take the All-Star break and have not played in a while. I got in the game and, in the top of the third, while I was on defense, I got taken out. So, I got two good innings in there, then I sat around the locker room until the end of the game. That’s when I found out. It was a long day. I fell asleep, got up and came here."

How did you react when traded?

"Since I was sitting in the locker room in Charlotte for three hours, awaiting to see what had happened, I was scrolling on Twitter, refreshing and seeing what people thought. What happened was someone guessed it pretty early on. When they told me, I was like, ‘Oh, someone knew that.’ I’m excited for this opportunity and happy to be here. Hopefully, we win a lot of games."

When did you get to PNC Park?

"I don’t know what time, but I think it was the fifth inning of the first game (of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers). I got dressed and ate, got the tour and when I was ready to go, we were pretty much starting the second game."

What position do you consider yourself?

"I am a shortstop. I play everywhere. The last day of spring (training) in Chicago, they were like, ‘You’re going to start playing some first.’ I was like, ‘All right.’ I played about six games before getting called up because (All-Star first baseman Munetaka) Murakami got hurt. I can play all four infield spots. I feel comfortable everywhere."

What clicked for you in Triple-A?

"A lot of minor adjustments but the real light bulb moment was in ’25. I started striding closed. It really lined up my body to where I hadn’t been the last couple years. Once I did that, I didn’t have to search during the offseason. I just kept up with that, just maintenance work. Once I got with the guys in Chicago, I had a conversation and we mixed ideas and got to where we are now."

What was the biggest change with the closed step?

"I talked hitting with my dad a lot, and he told me to start doing it two years ago. I was like, ‘I can’t do that. That’s kind of scary, to step towards the plate? The ball’s coming right there.’ He actually would show me videos of Alek Thomas on the Diamondbacks. I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do that.’ I was trying to find something that could help me out, and I tried it one game. It was like night and day, the change in the way my body moved toward the pitcher. Before, my body was moving out of the way and to first base. Once I did that, it wasn’t perfect right away — I had to work on it in the offseason — but I knew we were on the right track."

What was it like when the closed step worked?

"It was last year, in the last week of the season. Anything I tried in-game felt good. It just all depended on how my body moved. As soon as I did that one, I didn’t even have time — as soon as I opened my phone, my dad said, ‘That’s it.’ I didn’t even know. When I watched the video, I saw that I hadn’t done it in a while. It was nice, especially because it made the offseason easier going in with something I know was going to work."

Did it unlock your power?

"I wouldn’t say it unlocked the power. It put me in a better position to make good contact. I hit 40 (homers) in college. But the year before, they showed us our contact point. I started using a torpedo because I missed so far inside the barrel, just because I was coming in. Once I changed, I’m hitting it on the barrel again."

How does PNC Park fit you?

"I don’t know. Is it close in right? I saw some hard-hit balls in Chicago that weren’t homers. I hope they would go out here for me. That would be fun. I don’t take the stadium into consideration when I’m hitting. I just try to make hard contact, and if the home runs come, they come."

How did you learn many positions?

"When I first got to Double-A in ’24, the shortstop there was Brooks Baldwin, who was raking at the time. So him and I split. That was the first time I didn’t play shortstop full time. I only played with him for about a month, then he left and I was just shortstop. They saw enough that they were like, ‘OK, he can play shortstop. Let’s get our younger guy at short.’ I started playing second base mostly last year. This year it was like, ‘You’re going to play every position.’"

Tell us about your gloves!

"You said you have a love affair with gloves and have eight with you. Do you have a different glove for each position? No, I just have one for each. I won’t play catch with a broken-in glove. That’s a lie. With my first baseman’s glove, I had to play catch with it so I could get used to squeezing it. I’m used to all of my gloves staying open and closing them. The first baseman glove stays closed, so I have to open it myself then close it. That’s an adjustment I had to get used to. With any infield glove, if I’m playing catch it’s a glove that’s not broken in yet. They’re all about the same size, just different colors, models. I like 11 1/2, but I try different webs and different models just to see which ones I can get game-ready."

How does it feel to join the Pirates now?

"It’s awesome. I came here, and it’s an exciting opportunity. This team, they want to win. Sorry. ‘We’ want to win. There’s no (telling) what this team can do."

Summary

The Pirates traded a draft pick and a young pitcher to get Jacob Gonzalez and Brandon Eisert from the White Sox. Jacob was a first-round pick in 2023 who was having his best year in the minors, playing all over the infield. He was surprised by the trade but happy to join Pittsburgh, where he’ll play shortstop and first base. He shared how a small change in his batting step helped him hit better, and he’s excited to help the Pirates win.

FAQ

1. What did the Pirates give up to get Jacob Gonzalez?

They gave the White Sox their Competitive Balance A round draft pick (No. 34 overall) and lefty pitching prospect Jaden Woods.

2. Why is Jacob Gonzalez special as a player?

He can play all four infield positions and had a breakout year in Triple-A with 19 home runs and a .320 batting average in 53 games.

3. What is a "closed step" in baseball?

It’s when a hitter steps slightly toward the plate instead of away, which helped Jacob line up his body to make better contact with the ball.

4. How many gloves does Jacob bring?

He has eight gloves with him — one for each infield position type, though they are similar in size and just different colors or models.

5. When did Jacob first play in the major leagues?

He made his big-league debut on May 31 for the Chicago White Sox.