Curtis Granderson believes the Mets are 'really close'
Mets' Curtis Granderson smiles as teammates welcome him back to the dugout after he scored on a single by Travis d'Arnaud during the first inning against the San Diego Padres in a baseball game Friday, July 18, 2014, in San Diego. Credit: AP / Gregory Bull
Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson weighed in on several topics during an appearance on Tuesday, ranging from the ongoing changes to shorten the dimensions at Citi Field to his reunion with new hitting coach Kevin Long.
"With what we have right now, we're really close, we're right there," Granderson said when asked about the Mets' offseason plans. "It's just a matter of a couple games here, a couple games there, and I think the pieces that you bring back for another year can go ahead and do those things."
The Mets have placed an emphasis on bolstering an offense that languished in the middle of the pack in the National League.
Some of those efforts could directly benefit Granderson, whose first season with the Mets was marked by wild consistency. Signed to a four-year, $60-million deal in the offseason, Granderson hit .227 with 20 homers and 66 RBIs.
But he will enter next season with a familiar hitting coach in Long and a more hitter-friendly Citi Field.
Granderson said he's seen photos of the new fence line at Citi Field, where the large gap in right-centerfield has been reduced so that it more closely resembles the dimensions in leftcenter.
"It's going to be one of those things where we're still going to have to wait and see," said Granderson, who appeared at a luncheon at the New York Public Library to honor Citi's $138,000 donation to City Harvest, United Neighborhood Houses, USO of Metro New York and YMCA of Greater New York.
Even though general manager Sandy Alderson said Granderson might have added seven homers to his total had Citi Field's fences been brought in, Granderson said he didn't necessarily agree. Still, he acknowledged that the shorter fences should benefit hitters.
Said Granderson: "Any time you get a chance to see something that's smaller, the chances of succeeding and hitting the ball out of the ballpark obviously go up."
Granderson praised the hiring of Long, the recently fired Yankees hitting coach who helped revamp Granderson's while both were in pinstripes from 2010-13.
"He's your No. 1 fan when it comes to trying to make the changes and adjustments," Granderson said. "I think that's always been a cool thing to have."
As the Mets considered hiring Long, Alderson reached out to Granderson for his opinion. Granderson even served as an intermediary, putting Mets captain David Wright in touch with Long.
In the past, Granderson and Long have come together during the offseason to work on swing changes. But Granderson said it's uncertain whether that will happen this winter.
