Even though they don't yet have a budget approved, the Nationals were given permission from Major League Baseball to make an offer to free agent right-hander A.J. Burnett on Sunday night, according to general manager Jim Bowden. The team also was given approval from the league to make a counteroffer if necessary. Though Bowden declined to talk about the dollar figures, a source familiar with the negations said that the team offered Burnett a four-year, $40 million contract on Monday. Bowden doesn't expect Burnett to make a decision any time soon. "We made a significant offer," said Bowden. "We would like to have him. Obviously, the market is extremely aggressive. In this case, he is one of the best starters in the free agent market. So we are waiting to hear back from him. "We jumped right in to the middle of the fire, and I think we are a team that he is considering. Our offer is competitive with the other teams, according to his agent, Darek Braunecker." Braunecker was not available for comment, but according to published reports, Burnett has a five-year, $55 million offer from the Blue Jays, believed to be the highest offer for him. The Cardinals are also interested in Burnett's services, and have offered him a four-year deal plus an option.