The Washington Nationals acquired 2010 9th Round pick Zach Walters from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a July 2011 trade that sent right-hander Jason Marquis to the D-Backs. This afternoon, Walters, 24, who played 40 games in the majors with the Nats, 32 of them this season, led the International League in HRs last season and put up a .300/.358/.608 line with 18 doubles and 15 HRs at Triple-A this year, was dealt to the Cleveland Indians in return for 28-year-old, 8-year veteran infielder Asdrubal Cabrera.
In eight seasons and 914 games in Cleveland, Cabrera put up a .270/.331/.410 line.
In 97 games and 416 PAs this season, the Puerto La Cruz, Anzoategui, Venezuela-born infielder acquired from the Seattle Mariners who signed Cabrera as an amateur free agent in a 2006 trade for Eduardo Perez, put up a .246/.305/.386 line with 22 doubles, two triples and nine home runs.
In an interview with 106.7 the FAN In D.C.'s Grant Paulsen this afternoon, Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo was asked what sort of player the Nationals acquired this afternoon with about an hour to go before the 4:00 PM non-waiver Trade Deadline.
"In Cabrera you get a consummate pro," Rizzo said. "He's been a big leaguer for a long time, playoff savvy, switch-hitter that can hit from both sides of the plate, can really play shortstop, early in his career was a terrific second baseman. We've got ourselves a guy that has been through the rigors of playoff runs and playoff baseball. A guy that can hit from both sides of the plate. I think a guy that can stabilize a lineup and a real good guy in the clubhouse that I think will be welcomed with open arms."
So far this season, Cabrera has posted a 245/.316/.379 line against right-handed pitchers and a .248/.284/.400 vs left-handers.
Though he hasn't played second base since 2009, Nationals' manager Matt Williams told reporters today that he intended to play the Nats' new infielder at second base:
#Nats MW on Cabrera: "We plan on playing him majority of time @ 2B but he brings credibility @ SS too. He's an All-Star. Happy to have him."
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 31, 2014
Rizzo said the same, while noting that Cabrera could play short if and when Ian Desmond gets a day off.
"With a rare day off for Desmond," Rizzo explained, "and Desi doesn't like to taking days off, so very rare days off, we see [Cabrera] playing second base for us most of the time, but a guy capable of moving over if we had to."
As for Walters? Rizzo was asked what the Nationals are giving up and what Cleveland is getting?
"It's always tough getting rid of your young guys that have grown up in your system," Rizzo said, "and we acquired him in the Jason Marquis deal back in the day out of A-ball and we've seen him progress nicely. He's a guy with tools, he runs well, he throws well, he plays the middle of the diamond, could also fill in some outfield and he's got power from both sides of the plate. He's come a long way the last couple years in his approach at the plate and has been working hard on not swinging and missing so much and staying inside of the strike zone. A quality young man who we'll miss."
Though the Nationals talked publicly in the last week about being comfortable with Danny Espinosa at second in the wake of the hamstring injury Ryan Zimmerman suffered in Colorado, he told 106.7 the FAN's host this afternoon that the severity of Zimmerman's injury did influence the decision to go out and acquire another infielder.
"We thought when Zim went down with the hamstring problem that we didn't really know what it was," Rizzo explained. "When we found out that it was a Grade 3 [strain] and that he might be on the shelf longer than -- let's say Wilson Ramos was and the rest of those guys -- we felt that if we could find the right deal and it [didn't] have long-term ramifications that if we could upgrade at a position and get a veteran guy, a stabilizing force in the lineup we would look to do so."
"We felt that the risk/reward of letting Zach go and the reward we get with Cabrera was worth the risk," he continued.
"And at a time when we're built to win and we want to finish strong, until [Zimmerman] gets back I think that Asdrubal will be a real good asset to us and when [Zimmerman] gets back, we'll certainly have a lot of different scenarios and different places for Matt [Williams] to put some quality hitters and some quality major leaguers."
The Nationals' first-year skipper said Cabrera, who has made the majority of his plate appearances in the two-hole this season, could take over there with Washington, moving Anthony Rendon to the five-spot:
Williams called Cabrera "an everyday player." Said it could be flexible where he hits. Likes option of a switch-hitter 2nd and Rendon at 5.
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) July 31, 2014
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