The Nationals are taking another swing at pitching upside, claiming left-hander Ken Waldichuk off waivers from the Rays. To make room on the 40-man roster, Washington designated right-hander George Soriano for assignment.
Waldichuk, 28, is a name that might ring a bell for prospect watchers. Just a couple of years ago, he was a top-5 prospect in Oakland’s system after being traded from the Yankees in the Frankie Montas deal.
Back then, the lefty was flashing serious potential-over 200 innings across the 2021 and 2022 minor league seasons, he posted a 2.94 ERA with a 35.3% strikeout rate. That’s the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that gets front offices excited.
But the road since then has been rocky. Waldichuk got an extended look with the A’s in 2023 but struggled to a 5.36 ERA.
Then came the real setback-Tommy John surgery, which wiped out his 2024 season and delayed his 2025 return. When he did make it back late last year, Oakland sent him to Triple-A, where things didn’t go much better.
He posted an 8.65 ERA over 51 innings, and that performance sent him into waiver limbo.
Even so, Waldichuk hasn’t lacked for suitors. Since December, he’s been designated for assignment by the A’s, claimed by the Braves, traded to the Rays, and now scooped up by the Nationals. That kind of movement tells you teams still believe there’s something to unlock here-maybe it’s the pre-injury strikeout numbers, maybe it’s the potential to regain form with more time and reps.
Washington is an intriguing spot for him to land. With MacKenzie Gore now in Texas, the Nationals’ rotation is wide open.
Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli are penciled in, but beyond that, it’s a mix of unproven arms like Foster Griffin, Brad Lord, Jake Irvin, and Mitchell Parker. Waldichuk still has minor league options remaining, so the Nats can stash him at Triple-A and see if he can pitch his way back into the conversation.
As for George Soriano, he’s become a familiar name on the waiver wire himself. Turning 27 in March, the righty spent his entire career with the Marlins before bouncing around this offseason.
Despite a 5.95 ERA over 118 MLB innings with Miami, teams remain intrigued-and for good reason. Last year in Triple-A, Soriano was excellent: a 2.32 ERA across 42 2/3 innings, with a 28.8% strikeout rate and a ground ball rate north of 55%.
That’s a profile teams can work with.
The catch? Soriano’s out of options, so any team that picks him up has to keep him on the active roster or risk losing him again.
That’s why he’s been passed from Miami to Baltimore to Atlanta and now Washington, all since the end of last season. The Nationals will have up to five days to explore trade interest before placing him back on waivers, but with the 60-day IL window opening next week, we could see more fringe roster moves like this as teams look to optimize depth.
For now, Washington is betting on upside-Waldichuk’s past promise and Soriano’s recent flashes both fit the mold of a team looking to find value in overlooked arms. Whether either sticks remains to be seen, but in a rotation full of question marks, the Nationals are keeping their options open.