Let’s say there was this player, who for the first few years of his career struggled. But in his first full season in the majors, during which he missed some time due to injury, he hit .282/.355/.525, with 11 home runs and a 133 wRC+. Then the next season, although a smaller sample size, this player appeared to get even better, hitting .316/.377/.616, with a 165 wRC+ and being worth 1.8 fWAR, the second most valuable position player on the team. He is also a quality defensive first baseman, and a serviceable left fielder. That seems like the kind of player a team would want to hold onto—and make one of their core players for as long as possible.
Extending Dominic Smith now might be a good idea for the Mets
