Mets have started to move in fences at Citi Field

The Mets officially have begun work to reduce the expanse of Citi Field's right-centerfield gap, in hopes that the friendlier dimensions will boost their offense.

The club released photographs Wednesday that showed the early stages of construction of a new fence. The revamped Citi Field will feature less real estate in right-center -- 390 feet at its deepest point, down from 415.

The new fence, according to a source, will remove the angular features that create extra space in the gaps.

It's the second time since Citi Field's opening in 2009 that the fences have been moved in, though this round of changes is targeted only at shortening right-centerfield.

The Mets believe that the changes will bolster the home run totals of Curtis Granderson, David Wright and Travis d'Arnaud.

They also believe that their young pitching staff should be able to adjust to the cozier dimensions, thanks to a tendency to generate grounders and strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the Mets continue to piece together a preliminary list of hitting coach candidates.

According to sources, the Mets remain in the early stages, and formal interviews likely won't begin for a few weeks.

The club already has reached out to former Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long and Rangers hitting coach and former Met Dave Magadan, according to a source, mostly to gauge their interest in the position.