Is MVP worth it?

I'm 1.5 round trip transcontinental flights (8-9k miles) short of MVP status right now. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth getting the status. I want to do another trip but I'm not sure about two.

Option 1: go for status, squeeze 2 trips from SFO to JFK in.

Option 2: save money now, 1 trip from SFO to JFK but with whatever airline is cheapest (JetBlue maybe)

I hear MVP Gold is where it's at so I'm not sure if it's worth paying more and struggling to meet the regular MVP requirements.

For reference, I travel 3-4 times a year, generally in the off seasons. I already have pre-check and don't mind boarding last. I think the main benefit I'm looking forward to is the upgrades that status gives you. However I'm flying out of SFO / SJC so I feel like the chances I'll get the upgrade as opposed to a higher status passenger is pretty low.