5 things to watch in wake of Cespedes deal

Nothing happens in a vacuum in Major League Baseball. When the top free agent on the market signs, the tectonic plates always shift a little, even when he stays put.

That’s the case with Yoenis Cespedes, who in a classic Alex Rodriguez/CC Sabathia move, used the opt-out clause in last winter’s contract to stay with the Mets.

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We’d say “merely used the opt-out clause to stay,” but did you see the deal he got? There’s no “merely” in this sentence.

The Mets extended Cespedes for four years, so they can feel they held the line, but they gave him $110 million and a complete no-trade clause. Call it a win/win for the team and the player, and move on to the impact it could have on the market.

1. Your move, Mike Rizzo

With Neil Walker having already taken the qualifying offer, a healthy Mets team will look a lot like the one that swept the Cubs in the 2015 National League Championship Series (sure, Daniel Murphy’s in Washington, and given his production last season, the Mets would love a mulligan on his free agency, but Walker’s a solid replacement for the pre-’16 Murphy). The Nats had been viewed as a possible fit for Cespedes, and now they will have to find a way to improve without taking away their rival’s best power source.

Will the Nats get more aggressive about adding Chris Sale to their already deep rotation, or be happy merely adding a big-ticket closer and Matt Wieters or someone else to address Wilson Ramos’ injury/departure? Would they put Trea Turner and Lucas Giolito in a package for Sale and Adam Eaton?

2. Edwin Encarnacion, meet the Crawford …

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