Part of the allure of spring training is spotting The Next Big Thing, before he breaks out for the world to see.
It's the same feeling, no doubt, experienced by lucky souls who saw Robin Williams riffing at comedy clubs in the Bay Area or Bruce Springsteen rocking at New Jersey dive bars in the 1970s.
Last week, I saw the Mariners' future, and its name is Carlos Triunfel.
OK, perhaps that intentional echo of Jon Landau's famous 1974 Springsteen rave is a little melodramatic.
Triunfel, after all, is just a babe in arms in baseball terms, less than a month removed from his 18th birthday. He has yet to hit his first professional home run, and innumerable potential pitfalls still await him on the road to stardom.
And yet, sometimes you just can tell when someone has "got it." After watching Triunfel for a few days on a distant minor-league practice field at the Mariners' spring complex here, I'm going to go out on a limb — just me and every scout who has ever seen him play — and say that Triunfel has the touch of greatness.
Part of it may be the honesty with which Triunfel answers the question why he signed with Seattle.
The final proof of Triunfel's unique talent was the fact that super-agent Scott Boras took him on as a client. Boras doesn't take on stiffs. With former Mariners infielder Domingo Ramos, now a Boras associate, working as liaison, Engle knew he would have to outbid the usual suspects — the Yankees and Red Sox, among a half-dozen teams dealing with Boras.
I spoke to Triunfel in the Mariners' minor-league clubhouse, with Rafael Colon, one of the organization's mental-skills coaches, serving as interpreter. Asked why he chose the Mariners, Triunfel spoke in Spanish to Colon, and they both laughed.
Colon's blunt translation: "Seattle offered more."
Just as a reminder, here is the recap of Triunfel's career so far:
After breaking into professional ball in Seattle's instructional league in the winter after the 2006 season, Triunfel started last year at Class A Wisconsin — extraordinary for a 17-year-old. Even more extraordinary, he hit .309 in 43 games to make the Midwest League All-Star team.
A thumb injury kept Triunfel out for nearly six weeks, but after his rehab, the Mariners employed their trademark "sink or swim" prospect philosophy by elevating Triunfel to High Desert.
That's their high Class A team in the California League, featuring prospects up to five years older than him. Triunfel more than held his own, hitting .288 in 50 games, albeit with just 12 extra-base-hits in 208 at-bats.
The Orioles wanted him in the Adam Jones and Company for Erik Bedard trade, but Seattle didn't want to lose him. They kept him. Now, what's ahead for the young shortstop?
Some scouts believe that Triunfel will ultimately wind up as a third baseman or corner outfielder. [Greg] Hunter said Triunfel will likely start the year back at High Desert. But if the Mariners like what they see, he will continue to shoot quickly up the ranks.
If Triunfel remains on the fast track, it's conceivable he could be ready to replace Adrian Beltre at third base when Beltre's five-year contract expires after the 2009 season.
2 comments:
I like Triunfel as well and it was too bad we only got him for not 1/2 of the first half last year...but say it ain't so, the next third baseman for the Mariners???...What about Tuiasosopo??? Say it with me, Two-eee, two-eee, two-eee...
Two more weeks until Rattler baseball at The (Cable) Box. C'mon mother nature, didn't you punish us enough last year for the opening series?
Tomorrow, I'll post some pictures of the field. The snow is mostly gone.
Here's hoping that trend continues.
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