MLB Bullets Is Distracted By The Next Shiny Object

I've got nothing to go up here. If I did write something, I'm sure it wouldn't be as clever as I thought it was.

• The fallout from the Yankees deal with Masahiro Tanaka continues and everyone has an opinion. For Ken Rosenthal, says that with the Yankees blowing through the luxury tax, the old Yankees are back and that's a good thing. No more getting outbid by the Pirates for Russell Martin.
• Jay Jaffe has a scouting report and some background on Tanaka. He also notes that the old free-spending Yankees are back and that they need to be if they want to remain competitive.
• Emma Span says that Yankee-haters have a reason to hate again, but she wonders whether even with all this spending, it will be enough in the AL East.
• Jon Heyman says that with the Yankees having blown through the luxury tax, they're considering making a bid for Stephen Drew.
• Mark Saxon says it had to happen eventually: The Dodgers were out-bid.
• Dayn Perry looks ahead to the next Japanese pitcher coming to MLB: Kenta Maeda.
• Richard Durrett notes that the Tanaka deal shows that the Rangers got a massive steal with Yu Darvish.
• People have been predicting that the other free agent pitching dominoes would fall after Tanaka signed. The first one has already been noted around here, with Matt Garza going to the Brewers.
• However, the Brewers have said that the deal with Garza is not complete. Sounds like it might just be paperwork, but maybe not. It's certainly odd.
• Mike Bauman says the Brewers should be praised for doing what they can to stay competitive.
• Jeff Sullivan thinks the deal is a gamble because of Garza's injury history, but it's one that could pay off big. He thinks it wouldn't be surprising if it turned out to be a better deal than the Yankees' deal with Tanaka.
• David Schoenfield thinks the Brewers needed a pitcher, but Garza's not likely enough for them to contend.
• Jack Moore says that the Brewers really needed Garza.
• After his deal with the Orioles fell through, Grant Balfour signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Rays.
• The Mets actually offered Balfour more money, but he decided he'd rather pitch in Florida. And for a team that might actually have games to save, I imagine.
• Getting back to the Orioles, they agreed to a deal with free agent outfielder Tyler Colvin. But now comes word that once again, the Birds have a problem with the results of Colvin's physical.
• The Red Sox signed Grady Sizemore to a one-year deal. It's a major league contract worth $750,000 guaranteed, but with incentives that could take his salary to $6 million.
• This news was an unwelcome surprise to Reds GM Walt Jocketty, who thought he had a deal with Sizemore.
• The Angels signed Ian Stewart to a minor-league deal. Good luck with that.
• Jon Lester says he wants to remain a Red Sox and that he'd be willing to give the team a hometown discount get a deal done. Lester is a free agent at the end of this season.
• Gordon Edes thinks the Red Sox better take Lester up on his offer before he changes his mind.
• Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik want another veteran starting pitcher, but he won't sign any of the free agents. Instead, he wants to trade for one.
• The Marlins finally said that they want to sign Giancarlo Stanton to a long-term deal. But they're not in a hurry or anything. And it's not like Stanton has expressed any desire to stay.
• People are upset that Marlins president David Samson seems to be bragging about the taxpayer money he got for Marlins Park on his Survivor biography.
• Tom Verducci looks at starting pitchers who may decline this year due to something he calls "the year-after effect" but which most baseball writers call "the Verducci effect" because this is his particular hobbyhorse. There have been a lot of sabermetric studies on this "Verducci effect" and I've yet to see one that says it's a real thing, but it's still something worth taking a look at, monitoring and keeping an open mind about.
• Matt Harvey hopes to pitch in the majors this September.
• Jim Caple has some advice for Clark the Cub. No. It's not "Go eff yourself." It's real advice.
• Tracy Ringolsby talks about a group that wants to bring a major league team to Portland, OR. He says Portland is ready for a baseball team.
• Rob Neyer, who actually lives in Portland, is skeptical and explains why.
• There's a new documentary out about baseball in Portland, specifically about their independent league team that they had in the 1970s that was operated by the dad of actor Kurt Russell. The film aired at the Sundance Film Festival.
• Chipper Jones almost burned down the woods behind his house. Smokey Bear is not pleased.
• The Brewers are putting up a second statue of Bob Uecker at Miller Park. This one will be placed up in the upper deck "Uecker Seats."
• Finally, the Mets need divine intervention, and Mr. Met found a creative way to give the team some help from "(Snow) Angels In the Outfield." (video included)

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.