WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Once again, the Nationals begin the season with a high-profile player entering the final year of his contract, although third baseman Anthony Rendon is a very different case -- and personality -- from his more famous former teammate. Throughout the past year, Rendon and the Nationals have had off-and-on discussions about a potential contract extension, a topic that was broached briefly again this winter, although the Nats never extended any official offer, a source told MLB.com.

The Nationals expect extension talks to resume this spring, and once Bryce Harper’s free agency reaches a resolution, talks between the organization and Rendon are expected to pick up.

“If both parties can be happy, then we'll see,” Rendon said Wednesday. “If not, then we'll see what happens. We had more discussions [this offseason], but I can't lay all the cards out on the table for y'all. I gotta leave y'all in [suspense].”

While some players or teams prefer contract talks to be resolved before the start of the regular season, neither Rendon nor the Nationals have set any such self-imposed deadlines.

Washington has previously worked out a long-term extension during the season, when in May of 2016 the club inked Stephen Strasburg to a seven-year, $175 million deal. And there is perhaps no player in the Majors as easygoing and relaxed as Rendon, who did not believe those discussions off the field would become a distraction on it.

“We can talk as much you want, I’m all ears,” Rendon said. “I’m a great listener. But it's not going to distract me. At least, I say it won't. And if it does become an issue, then I'll address it. But thus far, it's been all right.”

Rendon also wanted to reiterate another point Wednesday. Yes, he is represented by Scott Boras, who has traditionally taken his clients to free agency to earn their highest value, but Rendon made one thing very clear: Boras is not calling the shots.

“What everyone has the misconception of is they think that we work for Scott,” Rendon said. “Like, no. That's not the way it works. Like, I'm telling him how it's going and you can ask him. We've gotten [into] some jibber-jabbers before too. Like, I'm paying him. Nah, that don't fly with me.”

Some players around the league have become trepidatious toward the free-agent market, where stars such as Harper, Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel still remain unsigned with Spring Training underway, although Manny Machado’s reported 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres proves the stars of the market can still be rewarded. But Rendon did not think the current market would have much impact on his decision.

And Rendon, who will turn 29 in June, would be one of the prizes of free agency if he does get there. He is perhaps the most underrated player in MLB, a star who is more than comfortable blending into the background while other players in the clubhouse (Max Scherzer, Harper, Strasburg) command more spotlight. However, there are few players in recent years who have been as consistently excellent on both sides of the ball as Rendon.

In 2018, Rendon was worth 6.3 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs, after hitting .308/.374/.535 with 24 home runs, enough production to earn some down-ballot NL MVP Award votes. He has become one of the stables of the Nats franchise, heavily involved with the team’s Youth Academy and loved throughout the organization. Only six players have accumulated more WAR than Rendon in the past three seasons.

Just because Rendon has been open about his willingness to remain in D.C. does not mean he is going to accept a massive discount. The Athletic reported this offseason that Rendon is seeking a contract in the range of Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who signed a five-year, $151 million extension before the start of the 2018 season.

Whether the Nationals are willing to go that far to extend Rendon remains unclear, but they are likely to make a push to keep their star third baseman in D.C. for the long term.

“We love Anthony,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday at Grapefruit League media day. “He’s a guy I scouted for a long time. We drafted, signed and developed him into an elite player. He’s a guy we look at in a Nationals uniform for a long time to come. We’ve had prior conversations that didn’t bear any fruit, but we’re going to continue to have dialogue.

“I think Anthony wants to be here. We’d like to have him. So I think there’s an opportunity there to have him be a National for a long time.”