Phils pitch extension to Moyer
Moyer finished 11-14 with a 4.30 ERA in 2006

In a move that will keep stability in the Phillies' starting rotation, the team announced yesterday they had extended the contract of pitcher Jamie Moyer for two seasons.

Moyer, 43, was one of the main reasons that the Phillies were in the thick of the Wild Card race until the last weekend of the season. He went 5-2 with a 4.03 ERA after being acquired by the Phillies from Seattle. The strong performances from Moyer in August and September earned him a 2 year contract extension worth $10.5 million. Bonuses could top the deal out at $14 million.

This looks like a strong deal for the Phillies. Pitching is at a premium, and 5 million dollars per year for a #4 starter is cheap nowadays. For an experienced veteran like Moyer, it's a steal. Moyer has also been very durable in his career, and he has proved it by pitching six straight seasons of 200-inning baseball. Last season, in 33 of his starts, he pitched past the sixth inning 27 times. It's that kind of durability that is unavailable elsewhere for this kind of price.

Don't get me wrong, there are certainly flaws in Moyer's game. In 3 starts at Citizens Bank Park last season, he allowed 6 homeruns in 20 innings pitched. If he serves up the gopher ball at that rate next season, Moyer will be ineffective. There are certainly postivites and negatives in the re-signing of Moyer, but Pat Gillick and the Phils can only hope that the pluses outweigh the minuses.