90 is an important number for the New York Mets as they enter Opening Day 2014 with a payroll that is under $90 million, but with lofty expectations after team brass projected the team to win 90 games. One person that could definitely thrive under New York's new-look lineup is David Wright, who may finally have some protection with the addition of Curtis Granderson, who is expected to bat cleanup behind Wright.
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Mets manager Terry Collins said that the December addition of Granderson to the tune of a four-year $60 million deal was a way to find some protection for Captain America.
"One of the best things we were looking for is someone to protect David," Collins said via Newsday. "And if it was a left-handed bat, it would be big. And so he was the perfect guy. With Curtis hitting behind him now, they've got to make a decision: Are they going to go after David Wright or are they going to go after Curtis Granderson with guys on base?"
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Wright, who is under contract with the team until 2020 and hasn't had much protection in recent years, said he believes that pitchers will approach him differently with Granderson behind him but that it won't make it any easier for him to get on base.
"I'm a believer that obviously the guy hitting behind you can affect the way pitchers pitch to you," Wright said, according to Newsday. "But does it make things any easier? You still have to go out there and have a good at-bat and do the things you're supposed to do. It's not like you've got Curtis hitting behind you and things are just going to be easy. That's not the way it works."
Wright said the lineup that he hit in earlier in his career when he thrived was "stupid" as he had Jose Reyes setting the table, while Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado also offered some protection. In recent years he's had the struggling Ike Davis or Lucas Duda behind him. Marlon Byrd's surprising comeback season led to him batting cleanup 51 times last season, the most out of any Met hitting behind Wright.
Granderson said if Wright has a big year he won't take the credit for hitting behind him.
"Oh, no, that's David being David," Granderson told Newsday. "He has all the ability to do that. The protection comes if a guy's willing to let the next guy do what he can. And that could be across the board. If you don't get a pitch to hit, take a walk and let the next guy do it."
Wright will hope that injuries won't hamper him after they limited him to just 112 games last season where he hit .307 with 18 homers and 58 RBI.
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