WASHINGTON -- Yoenis Cespedes said his attention is devoted to helping the New York Mets reach the postseason -- not the waiver that now will allow the Amazin's to pursue him as a free agent during the offseason.

The Mets announced Tuesday that Major League Baseball and the Players' Association jointly granted permission for the Mets to continue negotiations with Cespedes' representatives this winter.

The Mets must release Cespedes after the World Series in order to grant him free agency two years earlier than normally allowed. That typically would preclude the Mets from re-signing Cespedes until the following May 15, but the rule is being waived because it is advantageous both to Cespedes and the team.

"I don't really know anything about that," Cespedes said through an interpreter after the Mets beat the Washington Nationals 8-7 Tuesday. "If that's happening, it's out of my power. All I'm thinking is about playing baseball, to do my best and to get the team to qualify for the playoffs."

On Tuesday, Cespedes struck out with Curtis Granderson on third base in the top of the sixth and the Mets trailing by two runs. In the bottom of the frame, Cespedes had Michael Taylor's single hop over his glove in center field for a three-base error that plated three extra runs.

But Cespedes tuned out those difficulties and delivered a critical, three-run double against Drew Storen in what became a six-run seventh that allowed the Mets to pull even with the Nats at 7. The following inning, Kirk Nieuwenhuis homered against Jonathan Papelbon to lift the Mets to victory.

"I didn't feel good at all when I missed that ball," Cespedes said.

Said manager Terry Collins: "He struck out early in the game with a guy on. It was the first time I've seen any emotion out of him. He threw his bat. He was mad. He went out. He made a big error. He came in. And to the man, they went over and patted him on the back. They said, ‘Let's go. We're still in this.' I mean, every guy. Every single guy. Every pitcher. Every coach. Every player. And that's the respect they have for him as a player. I thought it was really cool to see."