"For scouting aficianados, today is a very important day -- the first day that teams are allowed to sign international players not subject to the draft. We're talking primarily about players from Latin American (dominated annually by the Dominican Republic and Venezuela), but Japanese amateurs have been signed in recent years, as well. This is the route by which the Mariners landed Felix Hernandez , Jose Lopez , and Carlos Triunfel, among others; there will no doubt be some future superstars signed by teams during this international signing period. Bob Engle, their international scouting director, is regarded as one of the best in the business."