John Schneider handed Mason Fluharty an MLB-high 83 appearances this season. The lefty just thanked Toronto for every one of them.

Fluharty edged out the Yankees' Brent Hendrick, who pitched in 81 games, for the league lead. That's more than half of Toronto's schedule.

He took to Instagram after the season to address fans. "Thank you Toronto for your endless love and support. Flu is sincerely grateful!" he wrote.

The gratitude reads as genuine, and the production backs it up. He struck out 65 batters in 62.2 innings with a 3.30 ERA.

He was worth 1.5 bWAR out of the bullpen. Schneider routinely called on him to get the opponent's top left-handed bats out, and for the most part, he delivered.

He worked the back end alongside All-Star closer Louis Varland and setup man Tyler Rogers. That trio gave Toronto a reliable path through the late innings.

A pre-arb lefty on a $315 million payroll is a steal

The contract makes it even sweeter. Fluharty is still pre-arbitration, so he'll make the league minimum again next season.

On a team that spent $315 million in 2026, that's absurd value. Every dollar saved in the bullpen can go toward the bats this lineup badly needs.

But 83 appearances deserves a hard look. Toronto missed the playoffs, and that kind of workload on a team without an October to chase was a choice.

Schneider leaned on him too hard. Riding a cost-controlled lefty that often in a lost season is how you shorten the cheap years you're supposed to be banking.

It's like putting 40,000 kilometres a year on a car you got for free. Great deal, right up until the engine light comes on early.

The plan for 2027 looks the same. Expect another high-volume role, with the left-hander coming in at key moments to neutralize lefty hitters.

There's another wrinkle. Sports Illustrated recently floated Fluharty as a trade chip in a possible deal for Dodgers outfield prospect James Tibbs III.

Would Toronto really move a minimum-salary reliever coming off this kind of year? If the return is a legitimate power bat, the front office has to listen.

Either way, somebody is getting plenty of innings out of that arm next season. The only question is whether the mileage gets managed better than it did this year.