Ben Cherington must approach these contract extension talks for Pirates right now

Let's just get the numbers out of the way up front, so we can really dig into the meat and potatoes of this discussion. Brandon Lowe is hitting .260/.343/.535 (142 wRC+) with 28 extra-base hits this year, while striking out 22.7% of the time and walking an 11.0% clip.

Even his expected stats are through the roof, including an 86th-percentile mark in xwOBA and 90th-percentile figure in xSLG. Factor in career-best defense at second base (+6 Outs Above Average), and it'd be an understatement to say that Lowe is exceeding all expectations in his maiden campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Given that he is a 31-year-old on an expiring contract, it's a foregone conclusion that the Pirates will make significant overtures to keep Lowe around for the foreseeable future. We've already discussed contract comps and CBA-related concerns that could change the final numbers on the extension he should sign.

Now, let's acknowledge that Lowe's tenure in Pittsburgh may define the legacy of another key organizational figure: general manager Ben Cherington.

Ben Cherington's legacy now rests on an extension with star second baseman Brandon Lowe

By this point, it's nearly impossible to argue against the idea that acquiring Lowe was the best move Cherington has made while running the Bucs' baseball operations. Considering the team also ended up with fourth outfielder Jake Magnum and set-up man Mason Montgomery in that deal, it's hard not to qualify it as a complete and total heist.

Considering Cherington's questionable history prior to this past offseason, it'd behoove him to keep one of his most notable wins in the front of fans' minds. He already won over a ton of people by inking top prospect Konnor Griffin to a historic extension; getting a long-term deal done with Lowe would only further boost his street cred in Pittsburgh right now.

Again, there are other, more logical reasons to want Lowe to stick around. A newly proposed salary floor would force the Pirates to spend a lot of money anyway; better it go to a well-liked, incumbent star than a high-risk free agent, right? Likewise, the veteran keystone stopper has been the team's best hitter this year and has clearly been a positive influence on Griffin in the middle infield. It'd be silly to break them up just one year into their partnership.

Still, baseball is an emotional game, even from the personnel acquisition side of things. Cherington has every incentive to ensure Lowe is playing for the Pirates for a long time to come. That can only be a good thing when extension negotiations begin.

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