Atlanta Braves Claim Intriguing Former Top Prospect From A's

Atlanta is adding some intriguing depth off waivers from the A's

Aug 29, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Ken Waldichuk (64) during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The hope was that the A's could sneak him through waivers, but on Thursday the team announced that left-hander Ken Waldichuk had been claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves. He was designated for assignment back on December 22 when the A's added Jeff McNeil to the 40-man roster, and has been in DFA limbo since, due to the holidays.

To make room for Waldichuk, Atlanta DFA'd Vidal Bruján.

The 28-year-old lefty hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2023, missing the past two seasons due to injury. Following the 2023 campaign, he elected to go the rest and rehab route, but once 2024 rolled around, it was clear that he'd need Tommy John surgery, which kept him off a pro mound until last summer.

He made his long-awaited return in June with the A's A Ball affiliate in Stockton, and then was pushed up to Triple-A Las Vegas for the rest of the campaign. In total, he held an 8.17 ERA (7.30 FIP) in 17 appearances (16 starts). His strikeout rate was solid, sitting at 25.3%, right in line with previous outputs, but his walk rate also skyrocketed up to 16.6%.

Of course, this is somewhat to be expected. Waldichuk hadn't pitched competitively in nearly two years by that point, so there was some rust that needed to be shaken off.

Reasons for concern, optimism for Atlanta

On top of the issues with his command, he was also struggling to get his velocity back. For much of the campaign he was topping out at right about where he'd been averaging with his heater in previous seasons. He was also having a difficult time maintaining that velocity over the outing, starting out where he'd want to be, and then falling by a couple ticks over the next few innings.

The on-the-field concerns certainly exist, and there is no guarantee that he'll be the same type of pitcher that he'd been previously. When he was acquired by the A's from the New York Yankees in the Frankie Montas deal, he made seven outings in 2022 and held a 4.93 (4.30 FIP) in his initial stint.

The following season he finished with a 5.35 ERA (5.30 FIP), but also showed glimpses of the type of pitcher he could become. From July 25, 2023 through the end of the season, he held a 3.54 ERA (4.47 FIP) in 61 innings, and looked like a breakout candidate heading into 2024, until his injury became public knowledge.

On a personal note, Ken was terrific to interact with. When we first crossed paths in 2023, he was a bit more shy in his postgame pressers, giving reserved responses. As the season progressed, you could see him making a legitimate effort to come out of his shell, and it was delightful to see.

While he was on the IL for the entirety of the 2024 season, he was still in the clubhouse every day, in various stages of rehab. I would chat him up, and talk about the video games he was playing to keep busy, shows he was thinking out binging with the newfound time on his hands, and other random topics that you broach when a player has an extensive rehabilitation ahead.

Waldichuk is a good one, and hopefully he'll be able to make an impact for the Braves in the coming year. He still has two options remaining, so there is no rush to get him to the big leagues while he continues to rediscover himself on the mound.