Nats, Tribe both happy with returns on Deadline deal

WASHINGTON -- With less than two hours to spare before the non-waiver Trade Deadline on July 31, the Nationals and Indians agreed on a deal that sent veteran infielder Asdrubal Cabrera to Washington in exchange for power-hitting prospect Zach Walters. Since the trade, both teams have come away happy with their respective returns.

Entering Friday, Cabrera had compiled a .250 average and .729 OPS in his first 17 games for the Nationals while providing sensational defense at second base, filling the hole left when Anthony Rendon was forced to third base in the absence of the injured Ryan Zimmerman.

Walters, meanwhile, has flourished during his first stint of consistent playing time in the big leagues, hitting four homers in his first nine starts for the Indians. Originally an infielder in the Minors, Walters has played three games as a left fielder and six as a designated hitter so far in Cleveland.

"He's a good kid. He works hard. We're happy for his success," Nationals manager Matt Williams said of Walters. "It was a question of having a Major League-ready veteran guy to bring over. Sometimes you have to do those things. But we're happy for him, because he's worked hard to get to the point that he's at. And they're giving him a chance to play and he's having success, and that's a really good thing."