When it comes to waiver claims this offseason, the Atlanta Braves are among the leaders of the pack. In their quest to accumulate as much roster depth as possible after an injury-ruined 2025 season, the Braves have added intriguing, if flawed, players left and right to see if any can help them going forward.
The Braves' most recent waiver claims further addressed their bullpen, but the one area that they have been steadfast in saying that they want to add more depth is the rotation. Some have taken that to mean that they think Atlanta could still make a play for Freddy Peralta or another top arm. However, not every move to add starting pitching need be a major swing.
On Thursday, as arbitration settlements were flying around everywhere, the Braves snuck in another waiver claim when they added lefty Ken Waldichuk. To make room, Atlanta designated Vidal Brujan for assignment.
The #Braves today claimed LHP Ken Waldichuk off waivers from the Athletics and designated INF Vidal Bruján for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) January 8, 2026
Braves claim Ken Waldichuk off of waivers to bring the Vidal Brujan era in Atlanta to a close
This is purely a depth play and one that isn't exactly a high percentage one. Waldichuk has missed bats since the Yankees drafted him way back in 2019. However, his command was always a bit suspect and needing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2024 season didn't help. The A's tried to get something out of him, but 2025 was a struggle and they ultimately DFA'd Waldichuk at the end of December. There is little risk for the Braves here, but it has been a while since Waldichuk has looking like a viable MLB starter.
In exchange, the Braves offered up Brujan's roster spot which is not much of a loss. With the Braves reuniting with Ha-Seong Kim and trading for Mauricio Dubon, Brujan and his total lack of power didn't have much of a role. Adding Aaron Schunk as a utility option earlier this offseason only advanced that reality further and now Brujan can hopefully latch on elsewhere.
The odds are that Waldichuk will join a growing group of rotation arm that will come into spring training looking to be a part of the Braves' rotation at Gwinnett to wait for an opportunity. In theory, the Braves have enough healthy starters to begin the 2026 season. However, Atlanta knows all too well that the best-laid plans can be ruined by injuries, so it is nice to have multiple fallback plans in case of emergency.