The Philadelphia Phillies have traded for Seattle Mariners pitcher Jamie Moyer, reports the AP. (Despite trading Bobby Abreu and having a sub-.500 record, the Phillies are still in the NL wild card race.) "He’s expected to start for the Phillies on Tuesday [(8/22)] against the Chicago Cubs."

18 years. That's how long it's been since Moyer has stepped foot on Wrigley Field's mound. He last pitched there on September 29, 1988. That offseason, after having thrown 403 innings for the Cubs in 1987-88, with a good performance in the latter year, the Cubs traded Moyer along with Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams and others.

Moyer did pitch against the Cubs when he briefly pitched for the Cardinals in 1991, but that lone appearance was in Busch Stadium.

After that '88 season, Moyer wasn't any good again until 1993, and he didn't break out until mid-season 1996, when he was 33 years old. Moyer is now 43, and much the same pitcher he's always been, killing 'em with the soft stuff. It's been a remarkable career for Moyer. Mitch Williams is two years younger than Moyer, and has been out of baseball for nine seasons. I wish him a great final run, if this is indeed his final run. Just not on Tuesday.