Nationals Keep Churning the Roster, Take a Flier on Lefty Ken Waldichuk
With pitchers and catchers just days from reporting, the Washington Nationals are still tinkering at the edges of the roster. While fans are hoping for a splashier move or two before camp officially opens, the front office is clearly focused on turning over every stone - or in this case, every arm - in hopes of finding a hidden gem.
The latest move? Waiving right-hander Jorge Soriano just days after claiming him from the Marlins, and replacing him with lefty Ken Waldichuk, who was just let go by the Oakland Athletics. If the name rings a bell, it should - Waldichuk was a key piece in the 2022 deal that sent Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Yankees.
Now 28, Waldichuk hasn’t quite lived up to the promise that once made him a top pitching prospect. His big league numbers to date - a 5.28 ERA, 1.491 WHIP, and a 165-to-81 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 175.2 innings - paint the picture of a pitcher still trying to put it all together. He’s made 29 starts in 42 MLB appearances, but hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2023.
That absence, though, comes with context. Waldichuk missed the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and spent most of 2025 in the minors working his way back into form. So while the surface numbers don’t jump off the page, there’s still some intrigue here - especially for a Nationals team that’s in a position to take some calculated risks.
This move is less about immediate impact and more about upside. If Waldichuk can rediscover the stuff that once made him a coveted trade chip - a deceptive delivery, a solid fastball-slider combo, and the ability to miss bats - he could turn into a sneaky value play for Washington.
And if not? He’s still a lefty with big league experience who can provide depth in Triple-A and potentially serve as an option later in the year.
For new President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni and his staff, this is part of a broader strategy we’ve seen unfold in recent weeks: churning the bottom of the 40-man roster in search of upside. It’s not flashy, but for a team still in the midst of a rebuild, it’s a necessary part of the process.
The Nationals may not be done yet - there’s still a decent pool of free-agent talent available, and the clock hasn’t struck midnight. But in the meantime, moves like this one are about giving themselves as many chances as possible to hit on something unexpected. In Waldichuk, they’re betting on a lefty with a blank slate and something to prove.