The Washington Nationals are “focused” on signing third baseman Josh Donaldson, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network:

The defending champions spent big on re-upping with World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg, but the linchpin of their lineup — third baseman Anthony Rendon — signed a seven-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. As such, the Nats appear to be pivoting to Donaldson to fill that void.

Donaldson is coming off a massive bounce-back season with the Atlanta Braves in which he clubbed 37 homers and posted a .900 OPS. The 2015 American League MVP was also one of the best defenders at the hot corner, ranking second among all third basemen in defensive runs saved (15).

As Heyman noted, the Braves are still interested in re-signing Donaldson. The Texas Rangers are in need of a third baseman, but there is a sense that they may have been priced out of negotiations:

The Minnesota Twins are another team that have reportedly been engaged with Donaldson's camp.

As far as the Nationals go, how much is Washington willing to spend? They already awarded Strasburg with $245 million, and Donaldson could receive over $25 million in annual average value.

Still, he would fill a massive void in the lineup. Rendon finished third in NL MVP voting after slashing .319/.412/.598 with 34 homers and an MLB-best 126 RBIs. He was also an instrumental part of Washington's run to the World Series title, hitting a pair of homers and slugging .586 in the Fall Classic.

Donaldson may not be Rendon, but he is one of the more productive third basemen in baseball when healthy, and he almost certainly would give the Nationals a more legitimate chance to repeat.