The Nationals have been active on the waiver wire lately, and their latest move is one that might raise some eyebrows-at least at first glance. On Tuesday, the club claimed left-hander Ken Waldichuk off waivers from the Rays and designated George Soriano for assignment to make room. Soriano had just been claimed last week, but in the churn of 40-man roster management, the Nationals clearly saw something in Waldichuk they didn’t want to pass up.
Now, if you’re just scanning the stat sheet, you might be wondering what the appeal is. Waldichuk posted an ERA north of 8.00 in the minors last season and is coming off Tommy John surgery. But there’s more to the story here-and it starts with Waldichuk’s pedigree.
Not long ago, Waldichuk was a name on the rise. He cracked top-100 prospect lists and was one of the key pieces in the deal that sent Frankie Montas to the Yankees in 2022.
Back then, he was known for his deceptive delivery, high strikeout rates, and a fastball that played well above its low-to-mid 90s velocity. In fact, across his minor league career, Waldichuk has averaged 13.02 strikeouts per nine innings-an elite number that speaks to the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that doesn’t just disappear overnight.
He made his big-league debut with Oakland in 2022 and spent the full 2023 season in their rotation. The results weren’t great-175.2 innings with a 5.28 ERA and 165 strikeouts-but he was still young and learning on the job. Then came the setback: Tommy John surgery, which wiped out his entire 2024 campaign.
His return in 2025 was rocky. The velocity dipped by about two ticks, and the command issues that had occasionally popped up earlier in his career became more pronounced.
The result? An 8.17 ERA over 54 minor league innings.
Not exactly the triumphant comeback he or anyone else hoped for.
But even in that tough stretch, Waldichuk still missed bats-68 strikeouts in those 54 innings. That’s not nothing.
In fact, it’s a sign that the raw ingredients that once made him a top prospect might still be there, just waiting to be refined again. And there’s reason to believe he’s trending in the right direction.
Reports from bullpen sessions this offseason have his fastball touching an average of 93.9 mph-up from the 91.6 mph he averaged during the season. That’s a meaningful jump, especially for a guy coming off surgery.
So what’s the plan for Waldichuk? While he’s spent his entire professional career as a starter, a shift to the bullpen might be the move that unlocks his potential. His fastball-heavy approach and strikeout ability could play up in shorter bursts, and the Nationals could benefit from letting him air it out in one- or two-inning stints where he doesn’t have to pace himself.
There are still hurdles to clear. His control has always been a bit of a question mark, and it was especially rough last season.
But that’s not uncommon for pitchers in their first year back from Tommy John. The second year often brings sharper command and more consistent velocity-two things Waldichuk will need if he’s going to carve out a role in Washington’s bullpen.
Of course, there are no guarantees. The Nationals have cycled through several fringe arms this offseason-just ask George Soriano or Micky Gasper.
Waldichuk could be the next in line if things don’t click in Spring Training. But he’s also got a higher ceiling than most waiver-wire pickups.
There’s real upside here, and that makes this claim more than just roster filler.
For Washington, this is the kind of low-risk, high-reward move that rebuilding teams should be making. If Waldichuk looks like his old self-or even something close to it-he could be a valuable bullpen piece or even a swingman down the line.
If not, you move on. But for now, he’s a name worth watching as camp approaches.