The Washington Nationals have acquired infielder Asdrubal Cabrera from the Cleveland Indians for fellow infielder Zach Walters.
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This trade alleviates the Nationals’ need for a viable second baseman after 3B Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the disabled list yet again.
Danny Espinosa had been filling in at second, but the Nationals have tired of his .217 batting average and below average defense.
. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Espinosa will return to a utility role for the Nats, with Cabrera taking over the everyday duties at second base.
The obvious loser in all of this is Espinosa. He did have six homers and seven steals, so he did provide owners with some production. He can probably be dropped in all but NL only leagues at this point since he will have a hard time cracking double digit at bats in any given week.
The change of scenery could help Cabrera, who was an All Star with the Indians in 2011 and 2012. This season, he has been average, hitting .246 with nine homers and 46 RBI. Being in a better overall lineup could help his overall production. He may be worth chasing after, but I wouldn’t expect a huge jump in his numbers.
Walters, ninth round pick of the Diamondbacks in the 2010 draft, has now been involved in two deadline deals in his career. He was sent to the Nationals in 2011 for pitcher Jason Marquis.
Walters hit 29 homers last year at AAA, and has 15 so far this year. He has struggled in his brief stints in the majors, but will likely be given a chance to play everyday, at least in the short term.
That said, uber-prospect Francisco Lindor is looming. If Walters struggles, Lindor could wind up in the majors very soon.
Stay tuned to FantasyCPR for all of the analysis on the trade deadline moves and what they mean to your fantasy teams!