Nobody would expect shortstop Zach Walters to be turning cartwheels after his demotion by the Nationals to minor league camp, but he was particularly upset. He refused to speak to the media after it was announced.
The 24-year-old Walters seems to have earned stronger consideration. He led all Washington players with more than 13 at-bats with a .379 batting average this spring. He boasted a .455 on-base percentage and .621 slugging percentage.
Walters was the victim of a numbers crunch. Starting shortstop Ian Desmond is among the best in baseball and Danny Espinosa provides quality depth at both middle infield positions.