Although nothing is official, Thomas Boswell of The Washington Post says ” Adam Dunn is done in Washington.” In his defense, Boswell questions that Dunn’s poor defense far outweighs the positives from his offensive stats.

With free-agents such as Carlos Pena and Derrek Lee available this off-season, the Nationals could get a former Gold Glove first baseman for less than Dunn’s current two-year, $20 million deal.

Boswell says by seeking other alternatives, “the Nats can avoid getting locked into the kind of four-year, $55 million deal Dunn might get elsewhere this winter. They won’t even be obligated for the $40 million over three years that Dunn might still be willing to sign for this very minute.”

In the big picture, Dunn brings more to the table than what could be quantified. He’s loved by teammates and by fans, so the Nats could get somebody cheaper, but they may not be able to mesh with others the same way Dunn has.

“What do I have to do [to stay here] that I haven’t done?” Dunn said Tuesday. “I get it – the defense, the stat guys.”

He added later: “I’m sick of two-year contracts. It’s the same every year [with mid-season trade rumors]. I think I’ve proved I deserve more than that.”

Dunn, 31, is hitting .268/.363/.553 with 34 home runs and 91 RBIs this season for the Nationals.