Indians trade Asdrubal Cabrera to Nationals

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The Cleveland Indians traded shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to the Washington Nationals on Thursday, the team announced. MLB.com's Jordan Bastian first reported the deal.

Cleveland receives 24-year-old shortstop Zach Walters in exchange for the switch-hitting infielder.

Cabrera, who is a free agent at the end of the season, provides the Nationals depth up the middle and allows Anthony Rendon to stay at the hot corner while Ryan Zimmerman remains sidelined with a hamstring strain.

The 28-year-old Cabrera has struggled at the plate and in the field this year. His hitting line of .246/.305/.386 falls well below his career averages, and he's currently on pace to hit his fewest home runs since 2010.

Despite his down season, Cabrera offers the Nationals plenty of options in their infield to exploit potential matchups.

He will likely see most of his time at second base, although Cabrera has not appeared there since 2009. He has 162 games at second under his belt over his eight-year career.

Here's how Cabrera compares to the other options the Nationals have deployed at second base since the beginning of 2013.

The switch-hitting Walters is batting .205/.279/.462 with three homers over 43 plate appearances this season.

Cleveland will reportedly pick up the remainder of Cabrera's contract this season ($10 million).