SAN DIEGO -- Now that Stephen Strasburg is locked in to a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Nationals, the attention pivots to Washington's other prized free agent, third baseman Anthony Rendon. It's anyone's guess if the Nationals have a realistic chance to sign him after committing so much money to Strasburg, but president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo isn't ruling out anything.

During a press conference on Monday at the Winter Meetings announcing Strasburg's new contract, Rizzo indicated one lucrative signing does not necessarily close the door on another. How serious the Nationals are about splurging on both of their franchise cornerstones is unclear, but Rizzo's comments suggested that the Nats are still interested in re-signing Rendon.

"I think that Anthony Rendon is one of the players that is most near and dear to my heart, a guy we've drafted, signed, developed, watched turn into a superstar, playoff success, and a huge part of the world championship run that we went on," Rizzo said. "So he's a guy that we love. Ownership has always given us the resources to field a great team and we're always trying to win, and we're going to continue to do so."

But with Rendon, or without?

"You look at the history of the Nationals and the way we've positioned ourselves and the details of the contract and the way that it's structured, this ownership group has never shied away from putting the resources together to field a championship-caliber club," Rizzo said. "I don't see them in any way hindering us from going after the elite players in the game."

According to MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal, Strasburg will be paid $35 million a year from 2020-26, with around $11 million in deferrals. Rizzo and Strasburg's agent, Scott Boras, hinted that the deferrals may give the Nationals flexibility to add in other areas during the life of Strasburg's contract.

But will it be enough to retain Rendon? The Nationals have other holes to fill, including first base, second base and in the bullpen. If they sign Rendon, they may find it challenging to put together a complete roster while also staying under the luxury tax threshold.

And it's possible Rendon is looking for a contract similar to the one Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado received earlier in 2019, when he signed an extension worth eight years and $260 million. Several teams have been rumored to be interested in Rendon, including, reportedly, the Rangers, Dodgers and Phillies, all of whom may have more flexibility than the Nationals.

Mark Lerner, a member of the Nats' ownership group, recently said the club could only afford to re-sign one of their marquee free agents. Rizzo took a somewhat softer stance.

"When you look at those comments, and then you look at the structure of this particular deal and the structure of deals we've had getting up to where we are right now, I think that Mark realizes that there's ways to fit players in, there's ways that you can field a championship-caliber roster," Rizzo said. "The resources have always been there, so I don't expect that to change."

If Rendon signs with another team, the Nationals will have options outside of the organization. Free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson, who slashed .259/.379/.521 with 37 homers and 94 RBIs with the Braves in 2019, will command a shorter commitment, both in dollars and years. Reports emerged on Monday that Donaldson, who is drawing interest among the Nationals, Braves, Phillies and Rangers, may receive a four-year deal.

The Nationals, while keeping the door ajar for Rendon, are also preparing to move on, should Rendon prove too expensive.

“Right now, the way I look at it, I don't try to think that Anthony's gone until he's gone and signs with another team,” manager Dave Martinez said. “In the end, if that does happen, we're going to look at other avenues and other things and try to fill that void, but it's a tough one to fill.”