Ken Waldichuk is used to being questioned. But few expected that, in just over a month, he would become a name constantly passed around on the waiver wire — as if all of MLB were looking at his left arm and wondering: is there anything left here?
On Thursday morning, the Washington Nationals became the next team to say “yes.” Waldichuk, 28, officially claimed off waivers — his fourth club since the Athletics DFA signed him just before the holiday break. Braves, Rays, and now the Nationals. A strange cycle, reflecting the precarious state of a pitcher once considered the future.
In theory, Waldichuk has everything to be an MLB starter: left-handed, good frame, diverse arsenal. But the reality is much harsher. He hasn’t pitched an MLB inning since 2023. Two consecutive years of injury interruptions have almost completely stalled his development.
After the 2023 season, Waldichuk chose to rest and rehab instead of surgery. But by the end of spring training in 2024, he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery—a decision that ended his entire 2025 season. When he returned to play in the minors at the end of June, things didn’t go as expected.
16 appearances (15 starts) in Triple-A, ERA 8.65, WHIP 2.06. Walk rate 16.6%—a career high. Velocity was inconsistent. In some outings, he maintained his speed for the first one or two innings, then gradually declined as the pitch count increased. A pitcher trying to rediscover his form—and yet to find the answer.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that teams constantly try to circumvent his waivers. Everyone sees the upside. But no one wants to pay the price with a 40-man roster spot when things are so precarious.
Washington, in that context, is a very different place to stop.
The Nationals aren’t under pressure to win immediately. They need upside more than safety. And they have a highly-rated pitching development environment, with people who have helped many pitchers revive their careers. Waldichuk’s joining the organization doesn’t seem like a short-term solution, but rather a deliberate experiment.
Initial data from the winter season offers some hope. Turner Givens of the Tread Athletics shared that Waldichuk’s velocity in recent pitching sessions looks quite positive. Of course, a sample of only 26 pitches — 12 fastballs — isn’t enough to draw any conclusions. But in this story, even small signals are worth noting.
There’s an interesting detail: Washington is also where Waldichuk made his MLB debut. In August 2022, wearing the A’s uniform, he debuted at Nationals Park. 4 2/3 innings, six strikeouts, plenty of walkouts, plenty of emotion. The game ended with Joey Meneses’ walkoff — who is now a depth option for the Athletics. Baseball sometimes has such strange cycles.
The Nationals could certainly start Waldichuk in the minors to assess him more thoroughly. But when he’s ready, this is the kind of team that can give him the “runway” — something a pitcher returning from Tommy John needs more than anything else.
In the final two months of the 2023 season, Waldichuk pitched with an ERA of 3.54 on 61 innings. That’s not a luxury memory. It’s just been overshadowed by injury and time. If velocity truly returns, if command improves even partially, Washington may have picked up a low-risk but worthwhile gamble.
For the Nationals, this is a logical choice. For Waldichuk, this may be his last chance to answer the question MLB is asking him — and this time, he’ll get to answer it in an unhurried environment.
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