Twelve years ago, the Cubs pulled off a major heist in a history-altering trade

It's hard to believe that it's been 12 years since the most important trade in MLB history was executed, but here we are.

Of course, I say that somewhat in jest, but the Cubs-Orioles deal that would later become known simply as the "Jake Arrieta Trade" did indeed occur on this day back in 2013.

Celebrate the 12-year anniversary of Cubs acquiring Jake Arrieta, Pedro Strop

At the time, the Orioles were just a few games out of first place in the AL East and in position to grab a Wild Card spot. In need of a rotation boost, they acquired Scott Feldman from the Cubs, who was having one of the strongest seasons of his career, logging a 3.46 ERA in 91 innings.

As one of the top rental starters on the market, the Cubs elected to trade Feldman early, making him the first big piece moved at that summer's trade deadline. They also tossed in backup catcher Steve Clevenger, a Maryland native.

In return, the Cubs opted to take in two change-of-scenery candidates, rather than boost their farm system with notable prospects. Though the decision-making by Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer was questionable at the time, it's safe to say it was the right call in hindsight.

Arrieta was the big get, as the Orioles' 2012 Opening Day starter couldn't stick around on the big league roster but had obvious potential. After pitching to a 3.66 ERA in the second half of 2013, the burly right-hander was given the No. 2 job behind Jeff Samardzija in 2014, and the rest, as they say, is history.

In the four-season stretch from 2014 until his first departure from Chicago, Arrieta pitched to a 2.67 ERA in over 750 innings. He struck out 25.3% of hitters, allowed an opponent OPS of .548, and top-10 in NL Cy Young voting in three straight years from 2014-16, including winning the 2015 award on the back of the greatest second half in baseball history.

In 12 starts in August and September, Arrieta had a 0.41 ERA. His 20 consecutive quality starts to close out the season remain a MLB record. He hit as many home runs as he allowed (one). He had more no-hitters (two) than games lost (one) in a 29-start stretch from June 21, 2015 onward. It was truly the most unstoppable a pitcher has ever looked, at least in my memory.

Of course, Strop was no slouch, accumulating a 2.88 ERA in parts of eight seasons with the Cubs following the trade. He also racked up 29 saves while serving as the primary set-up man for Héctor Rondón, Aroldis Chapman, Wade Davis, Brandon Morrow, and Craig Kimbrel.

Strop and Arrieta were both instrumental to Chicago's 2016 World Series championship, as Strop delivered two shutout innings in the World Series and Arrieta went 2-0 while allowing three earned runs in 11 1/3 innings against the then-Cleveland Indians.

In all, the trade stands as one of the most important moments in Cubs history, with both Arrieta and Strop enshrined as two of the most important pitchers on the 2016 team.