Don't forget the 100% tax so it would be over 60 million. Yankees just
signed 10 of the top 30 international players, so it's not like they are signing no one.
The real point is, the Yankees, with the highest revenue of any team in baseball finds it's advantages from that revenue stream dwindling by the year. Its very likely that international free agents, at least from Latin America, will soon be subject to a draft as well. And with the new rules about said free agents, such that once you go over your allotment for the year, are severely restricted in the following two years, and the Yankees already over that limit - this was the ideal time to put that revenue advantage to work.
Instead, they let $9 million - less than ownership splurged on Rafael Soriano for no apparent reason in 2011 - be the difference between them acquiring what is widely viewed as a major prospect and letting the chief rival in their own division do the same.
George would be rolling over in his grave at how shabbily his team is being run.
They'll probably have to raise ticket prices to make up for it.