from Baseball America.com:

International: Mariners Sign Truinfel

Dominican shortstop gets reported $1.3 million bonus

By John Manuel

September 22, 2006

As expected, the summer of 2006 has been a busy one on the
international market. The Mariners, who aren't shy about signing
players from any corner of the globe, already had spent heavily earlier
in the summer, signing Venezuelan outfielder Mario Martinez for
$600,000.

Now, they have landed another impact international signee. Mariners
international scouting supervisor Bob Engel confirmed that the
organization signed Carlos Truinfel, a shortstop out of the Dominican
Republic. Engel would only say that Truinfel signed for "a sizeable
bonus," but another source indicated to Baseball America that Truinfel
received $1.3 million.

The second source also indicated that Truinfel's bonus from the
Mariners was not the largest offer the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder had
received, but that his comfort level with the Mariners organization was
the deciding factor that helped him make his choice.

Earlier in the summer, Truinfel's agent, Scott Boras, indicated that he
considered Truinfel perhaps the most well-rounded player available this
summer, and Engel painted a picture of a player with present hitting
ability and five-tool potential. He has personally scouted Truinfel,
who also was scouted by Dominican supervisor Patrick Guerrero and
Franklin Taveras.

"He has solid fundamentals at the plate. He's 16, and he has an advance
approach to hitting that really its the first thing that attracted our
attention," Engel said. "He has natural strength in his shoulders,
hands and wrists, and he's never lifted weights. I think he's going to
hit for power.

"He's an above-average runner, he has good hands at shortstop and his
arm is true and accurate. Physically, he's the complete package. He
could move rapidly."

No club signs players from as many locales as the Mariners, who have
signed players from Japan (Ichiro, Kenji Johjima), Cuba (Yuniesky
Betancourt), South Korea (Shin-Soo Choo, since traded to the Indians)
and Australia (Chris Snelling) in the big leagues, not to mention
players from all over Latin America. Engel expressed optimism for
recent European signees as well, such as Italian third baseman Alex
Liddi and Dutch righthander Greg Holmann, and now has added Truinfel
and Martinez from hotbeds the Dominican Republic and Venezuela to the
Mariners' recent haul.

"Our ownership allows us to do many things internationally, so we're
fortunate," Engel said. "We have a great stuff, and everyone on the
staff contributes. We're seeing some of those benefits in the major
leagues now, and hopefully more in the future."