Nationals Remain Confident On LaRoche

7:10pm: Multiple Nats officials are telling Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link) that the team has an informal Christmas deadline to resolve LaRoche's situation. The Nats remain optimistic he'll sign, though Jim Bowden tweets that the team has resolved not to go past two years.

6:49pm: The Nationals have been telling people they hope to get LaRoche signed by week's end, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark, but they still don't want to guarantee more than two years.

4:36pm: The Nationals remain confident they'll re-sign first baseman Adam LaRoche, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  He says that might lead to the Nationals sending Mike Morse to the Mariners, who have "big interest" in getting him back.

We heard yesterday that the Nationals are holding firm at a two-year offer with no option for LaRoche.  LaRoche remains on Baltimore's radar, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, who also have interest in Morse.