Orioles attempted to trade for Asdrubal Cabrera

The non-waiver deadline has passed, but I can't seem to let it go. I'm not sure why, since I mostly find it annoying. This could explain my relationship issues. But seriously... The Orioles failed to trade for a hitter Thursday despite making a final push shortly before 4 p.m. Executive vice president Dan Duquette was trying to work a couple of deals, and he came close to acquiring Indians middle infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, according to sources. The Indians decided to take Nationals infield prospect Zach Walters in exchange for Cabrera, who was batting .246/.305/.386 with 22 doubles, nine homers and 40 RBIs in 97 games. From what I've heard, it came down to the beltway rivals. Though Cabrera has mostly played shortstop, the Nationals want him to be their second baseman, which allows Anthony Rendon to shift to third base while Ryan Zimmerman is on the disabled list with a slight tear in his right hamstring. The Indians reportedly agreed to pay the approximately $3 million left on Cabrera's contract as he approaches free agency. Duquette, who won't discuss specific negotiations, told reporters that he was searching for more offensive production at second base, as long as he didn't have to sacrifice defense. I heard a few days ago that the Orioles checked in on Cabrera, but the extent of their interest seemed to go unnoticed by the media that tracked the movement of every team. If an executive reached for the phone, it was tweeted five minutes later. I don't know what the Orioles were offering for Cabrera. Duquette probably floated a couple of proposals, as he did with the Red Sox before acquiring left-hander Andrew Miller. If the Indians wanted an infield prospect, who would have constituted a match with the Orioles? Feel free to discuss. Cabrera is a career .270/.331/.410 hitter in eight seasons in Cleveland. He made his first All-Star team, won a Silver Slugger award and placed 20th in Most Valuable Player voting in 2011 while hitting 25 home runs and collecting 92 RBIs. That's an offensive upgrade. However, Cabrera hit .242/.299/.402 with 14 homers and 64 RBIs in 2013 and he hasn't gotten back to the level that he reached three years ago. Duquette remains confident that he can swing another deal this month, when players must first pass through waivers. It could be a second baseman. It could be a starting pitcher. He's not done. Shameless plug alert: I'm back on "Wall to Wall Baseball" from noon to 2 p.m. on MASN. I'm also appearing on "O's Xtra" that airs at 6:30 p.m. on MASN2. In between, I plan on visiting my second family on SOR Night and cheering CardiacScott as he throws out the ceremonial first pitch.