Braves Add Lefty Off Waiver Wire, DFA Utility Player to Clear Space

The Atlanta Braves add a left-hander with starting pitchers experience off waivers from The Athletics on Thursday

The Atlanta Braves pick up another left-handed option | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves are back to roster building in the new year. The team announced on Thursday that they claimed left-hander Ken Waldichuk off waivers from The Athletics.

In a corresponding move, they designated infielder Vidal Bruján for assignment. Waldichuk’s roster status is undetermined, but if Bruján was DFA’d, it can be presumed he is being added to the 40-man roster. 

Waldichuk hasn’t seen action in the major leagues since the 2023 season. In 42 appearances, 29 starts, he has a 5.28 ERA to his name. 

He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2024 and sat out the entire season from action. Waldichuk returned to action over the summer, pitching primarily for Triple-A Las Vegas. He looked like a pitcher who was seeing action for the first time in over a year. In 17 games, 16 starts, he pitched to an 8.65 ERA and a 2.06 WHIP across 51 innings. 

The A’s opted to designate him for assignment on Dec. 22, giving the Braves a chance to scoop him up as a depth option. 

Knowing the nature of offseason moves, he very well may not be with the organization by the time Spring Training rolls around. If he is, it’s logical that he’ll report to North Port and see some action down in Florida. 

Meanwhile, Buján being designated for assignment wasn’t a surprise per se. How soon he was removed from the 40-man arguably was.  

He signed a split contract with the team back in November. It allowed the Braves to make this kind of move without having to worry about salary. That being said, this felt like a move that would have occurred near the end of Spring Training as opposed to now.

We now await to see what happened with him after this move. Bruján joined the Braves in August off the waiver wire and provided a utility option down the stretch.

In 23 games with the Braves, he got on base at a respectable clip, batting .268 with a .362 on-base percentage. He didn’t provide much power, mustering just two extra-base hits, both of which were doubles. 

If he sticks around, he’ll likely see action in Spring Training and then report to Triple-A Gwinnett. He would still be a good option to have available in the system. However, it wouldn’t be surprising either if he were to be picked up by another team looking at add position-player depth.