WASHINGTON -- Thursday marked the last day the Nationals had exclusive rights to negotiate with their free agents -- first baseman Aaron Boone and left-hander Odalis Perez.

The chances of Boone and Perez returning to Washington are 50-50. General manager Jim Bowden said recently he would like to have them back.

Last season for the Nationals, Boone came off the bench and hit .241 with six home runs and 28 RBIs, while Perez started 30 games and went 7-12 with a 4.34 ERA.

"We have expressed interest in both players. We thought they did a good job for us. We expressed that to their representatives," Bowden said. "I think dollars are a factor with every player that is on the open market."

The Nationals are expected to be players during the Hot Stove season. They are looking for a first baseman and, perhaps, a second baseman.

The need for a first basemen stems from Nick Johnson's history with injuries and Dmitri Young's troubles with diabetes and staying in shape. In their effort to fill that need, the Nationals are expected to be players in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes. A switch-hitter, Teixeira has driven in a 100 runs for five straight seasons. The Nationals haven't had a player drive in 100 runs since Ryan Zimmerman in 2006.

The Nationals have also keeping their eye on Adam Dunn, who has hit at least 40 home runs for five straight years. While he has a .247 career batting average, Dunn has a .381 on-base percentage and is versatile in the field. If he were a member of the Nationals, Dunn would most likely play first.

Team free-agent reports Choose Your Team AL East • Baltimore Orioles • Boston Red Sox • New York Yankees • Tampa Bay Rays • Toronto Blue Jays AL Central • Cleveland Indians • Chicago White Sox • Detroit Tigers • Kansas City Royals • Minnesota Twins AL West • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim • Oakland Athletics • Seattle Mariners • Texas Rangers NL East • Atlanta Braves • Florida Marlins • New York Mets • Philadelphia Phillies • Washington Nationals NL Central • Chicago Cubs • Cincinnati Reds • Houston Astros • Milwaukee Brewers • Pittsburgh Pirates • St. Louis Cardinals NL West • Arizona Diamondbacks • Colorado Rockies • Los Angeles Dodgers • San Diego Padres • San Francisco Giants • Hot Stove MLBlog • Hot Stove Tracker

As far as second base goes, Bowden indicated that Anderson Hernandez could be the answer, but free agent Orlando Hudson is on the Nationals' wish list. He was one of the reasons the Diamondbacks won the National League West title in 2007 and could be a top-of-the-lineup hitter in Washington.

Hudson also is considered a defensive wizard, having won Gold Gloves from 2005-07.