The Atlanta Braves kept working the margins on Thursday, reshaping the roster with two moves aimed at pitching depth and forty man flexibility. It was not a flashy day. It was a day that signals process.

Atlanta claimed left handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk off waivers from the Athletics, adding another controllable arm to the organization’s inventory. The corresponding move came quickly. The Braves designated infielder Vidal Brujan for assignment to clear space.

Together, the transactions underline how the front office is balancing upside with optionality as spring training nears. Depth is a currency in February. Flexibility becomes a weapon once injuries and workload limits start to surface.

Waiver claims like this are rarely about locking in an Opening Day starter. They are about buying time and information. A team gets a chance to evaluate a player in its own environment. The cost is only a roster spot.

For the Braves, that roster spot matters because the forty man list governs who can be protected, optioned, or exposed. Every addition forces a subtraction. Teams that contend often churn the back end. Atlanta has embraced that reality for years.

Waldichuk arrives with intrigue because his story includes real prospect shine and a difficult health detour. He is a left hander with size and angle. He has also had to restart his career clock after elbow reconstruction.

He was originally drafted by the New York Yankees, then moved in a high profile trade that highlighted how clubs value pitching. Those deals can accelerate expectations. They can also expose a pitcher to a new set of developmental priorities.

The last two seasons have been shaped by surgery and recovery. Waldichuk underwent Tommy John surgery, missed the entire 2024 season, and saw only limited action in 2025. That timeline matters. It frames this as a depth focused claim.

Atlanta is not pretending this is an immediate rotation fix. Instead, the Braves are betting on a controllable arm whose value could rise with health and refinement. In a long season, even one usable lefty option can matter.

This approach fits a pattern the Braves have followed when building their pitching pipeline. They target pitchers with upside and club control. They avoid long term commitments on the fringes. They prefer evaluation over assumption.

Spring training is the natural laboratory for a player like Waldichuk. He can throw in controlled settings. He can rebuild feel for his pitches. He can face hitters without the pressure of a regular season scoreboard.

Realistically, Triple A Gwinnett looks like the likely landing spot as he continues regaining strength and stability. That is not a demotion. It is a development lane. Atlanta often uses Gwinnett as a ready reserve for needs that pop up.

If Waldichuk’s velocity, command, and confidence return, he could become a useful depth starter or a multi inning option. Left handed arms help matchups. They also help with rotation coverage when schedules compress and innings accumulate.

The key variable is health, because pitchers returning from Tommy John can look different month to month. Workloads are monitored. Recovery between outings is tested. Teams build gradual ramps to avoid setbacks and protect long term value.

Atlanta’s coaching infrastructure gives the club a chance to optimize those ramps. The Braves have invested in process, data, and individualized plans. They also have experience integrating pitchers who arrive with prior development histories from other organizations.

The other half of the day’s story is Brujan, whose exit is more about fit than a simple judgment on talent. He struggled to secure a stable role. He also faced increasing competition as the roster solidified around other options.

Utility players can be valuable, but only if the roster has a clear pathway for their skills. Brujan’s profile overlaps with other bench candidates. When redundancy builds, the team often chooses the player with remaining options or clearer defensive roles.

Designating a player for assignment is a blunt but common tool on a contender’s calendar. It creates immediate flexibility. It also starts a short window for trades, waivers, or outright assignments. The process can move quickly.

For Atlanta, clearing the spot keeps future moves available, whether that means another waiver claim, a minor trade, or a spring training signing. The Braves often treat the final roster places as fluid. That fluidity can create value.

It is also a reminder that roster building is not about stars and starters alone. It is about the eighth reliever, the extra outfielder, and the next call up. Those edges decide how a team absorbs injuries across six months.

Pitching depth, in particular, is a constant need for competitive clubs. Even the best rotations face attrition. Bullpens churn. Spot starts become inevitable. A controllable left hander with prior prospect interest fits the checklist.

Waldichuk’s evaluation will likely focus on repeatable mechanics and strike throwing, especially early in camp. Command tends to be the last piece to fully return after surgery. The Braves can afford patience. They can also demand progress.

If he earns momentum, the Braves could view him as a mid season insurance policy, like other arms they have cycled through in recent years. Those pitchers often begin in Gwinnett. They surface when doubleheaders, injuries, or fatigue create openings.

From the Athletics’ perspective, losing Waldichuk via waivers reflects their own roster pressures and timelines. Rebuilding clubs must constantly manage space. They also prioritize certain developmental bets. Sometimes that means risking a player to keep another.

For the Braves, the claim is low risk and potentially meaningful reward. A waiver move rarely makes headlines in January. Yet the same move can provide thirty useful innings in July. Contenders know those innings are precious.

Brujan now enters the phase that follows a DFA, where a club can claim him, trade for him, or wait to see if he clears. Players with versatility can attract interest. Timing and roster needs will shape his next stop.

Atlanta’s decision does not erase his ability. It simply signals that the Braves did not see a clean path for him on this roster, at this moment. On another team, a different bench structure could create more opportunity.

These kinds of transactions also illustrate how front offices map the forty man roster months in advance. Spring training invites surprises. Injuries force moves. Prospects knock on doors. Teams that keep flexibility can respond without sacrificing core pieces.

In the bigger picture, Atlanta is protecting what it believes is the championship foundation, while using waivers and short term evaluations to search for hidden value. The core stays intact. The edges are constantly refined.

As camp approaches, Waldichuk offers a fresh opportunity for the staff to reassess a once promising lefty in a new setting. Brujan’s departure opens space for the next addition. Incremental decisions like these often shape readiness when the season begins.