The waiver wire carousel continued for the Washington Nationals are claiming another pitcher and designating another for assignment on Thursday
The waiver wire carousel continued into Thursday for the Washington Nationals with another round of moves announced by the team, this time with its pitching staff.
The Washington Nationals announced they have claimed left handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. The move came three days after he was designated for assignment, while he arrived in Tampa Bay in a trade from the Atlanta Braves. He began the offseason with the Athletics but was designated for assignment, leading the Braves to swoop in to make a move in what has proven to be a chaotic offseason for the former fifth round pick of the 2019 MLB Draft.
Waldichuk last appeared in the major with the Athletics in 2023 after being traded from the New York Yankees where he appeared in 35 games and drew 22 starts, finishing the season with a 4-9 record and 132 strikeouts to 71 walks. He also allowed 24 home runs in 141 innings pitched. That came one season after he made his MLB debut in 2022, appearing in seven games and posting a 2-2 record with 33 strikeouts and a 4.93 ERA across 34.2 innings pitched.
He then saw his 2024 season cut short after undergoing Tommy John surgery in mid-May, sidelining him for the remainder of the season before being activated from the injured list in mid-July of 2025 where he opened in Triple-A Las Vegas. In addition to one start in Single-A, Waldichuk made 15 starts and 16 appearances across his time with Las Vegas where he finished 2-6 with a 2.50 ERA while tossing 64 strikeouts to 42 walks in 51 innings.
The move was made possible with George Soriano now on his way out. Soriano was claimed off waivers from the Braves just like week after Atlanta designated him for assignment days prior.
This also will likely not mark the final move on the waiver wire for Toboni and the rest of the front office with a chance for the Nationals to finalize its makeshift minor league roster ahead of a 2026 season that will feature plenty of youth after a largely quiet offseason before the decision to bolster the farm system in a trade with the Texas Rangers. Whether the Nationals new method ahead of spring training proves to bolster the roster remains to be seen after watching Mickey Gasper get claimed by his former team then pitcher Konnor Pilkington declare for free agency instead of accepting his assignment in Triple-A.