Max Muncy has grown from afterthought to late-blooming All-Star with the Dodgers, and the club rewarded the 29-year-old on Thursday with a three-year contract extension, thus avoiding arbitration.

The deal buys out Muncy’s three arbitration-eligible seasons, beginning in 2020, for a reported total of $26 million, according to MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal. The Dodgers also get a $13 million option on Muncy (with a $1.5 million buyout) for 2023, which would keep him away from free agency for a year.

It was not exactly big news when the Dodgers signed Muncy as a free agent in April 2017. He had struggled in 96 games with the A’s over the previous two seasons, then was released that spring. But Muncy flourished with a new organization.

After raking in Triple-A in 2017 and early in '18, Muncy made his Dodgers debut on April 17 of that season. He has posted a slash line of .256/.381/.545 with 70 home runs and 177 RBIs over the past two years, hitting 35 homers in each season.

Muncy’s park-adjusted 145 OPS+ over that time is tied with the Angels' Anthony Rendon for seventh out of 114 hitters with at least 1,000 plate appearances. Since the date Muncy first appeared for the Dodgers, he is tied with teammate Cody Bellinger for the eighth-most homers in MLB, showing an ability to make elite contact, according to Statcast metrics.

An integral piece of the Los Angeles lineup now, Muncy received down-ballot MVP votes in both 2018 and '19, was a first-time All-Star last year and has posted an .857 OPS with six homers in 21 postseason games. He even has surprised with some defensive versatility, spending time at all four corner spots and appearing in 104 games at second base.