Nationals acquire Asdrubal Cabrera from Indians

The Washington Nationals have acquired shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera from the Cleveland Indians, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer was the first to report that Cabrera had been dealt, and he adds that the Indians will receive infield prospect Zach Walters in exchange. The Nationals will also receive cash in the deal (via ESPN's Buster Olney).

Cabrera has long been the subject of trade rumors, and considering that he will be a free agent following the season, it would have made little sense for the Indians to keep him past the deadline. The 28-year-old two-time All-Star is currently hitting .246/.305/.386 with a 95 wRC+ and 1.1 WAR. For his career, he owns a 104 wRC+ and 13.9 WAR, consistently ranking as one of the best offensive shortstops in the game. The impending free agent has just over $3 million remaining on his current deal.

With Ian Desmond entrenched at shortstop in Washington, Cabrera will likely make the switch over to second base, forcing incumbent Anthony Rendon back to his natural position of third base. Current third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is dealing with a hamstring strain and could be out for "a while." At second base, Cabrera rates out as a much better defender than he does at shortstop, though he has not played the position since 2009.

The 24-year-old Walters has played in 40 games at the big league level with the Nationals over the past two years, hitting .234/.308/.462 with a 0.5 WAR in 52 plate appearances. A career .280/.327/.479 hitter in the minors, Walters profiles as a utility infielder. Baseball America recently ranked him as Washington's ninth best prospect in their midseason updated top 10 list.