It is currently the All-Star break for Major League Baseball, but over at Dynasty, we don’t take any breaks. While Pete Parise is our client that is closest to making the big leagues, we have many other talented, young players who are progressing in their systems or just starting out for their clubs after being drafted this year. I recently reported that Dynasty signed two West Coast pitchers. I am now happy to announce the signing of two more players (1 pitcher, 1 position player) who have joined the Dynasty family over the past week: Rand Smith and Eric Valdez.
Rand Smith is the second Florida Marlins organization player signed by Dynasty. He is a 6’0” 190 lbs outfielder out of Appalachian State University. Rand was born on June 11, 1987 in Bolivia, North Carolina where he attended South Brunswick High School. As a Cougar, he was a four-time all-conference performer and 12 varsity letter winner in baseball, football, and basketball. He led his team while hitting .451 with 27 steals and three home runs.
Smith is an outstanding athlete with a consistent bat. As an all-conference and all-state selection, he hit safely in 52 of 54 games. This included three different double-digit hitting streaks, one of them being his school record breaking 27 game streak. In 2009, 
Rand was third on the team in batting average (.365), second in home runs (10), drove in 42 runs, had a slugging percentage of .585%, and raked in 88 hits. The Florida Marlins selected him in the 20th round (608th overall) of the 2009 draft. He is now in the Class A short-season New York-Penn League with the Jamestown Jammers.
Eric Valdez is Dynasty’s fourth client in the Seattle Mariners organization. He is a 6’1, 200lbs, flame throwing right-handed pitcher chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the 35th round of the ’09 MLB Draft out of Indiana State University.
In 2009, he tallied 5 wins and led the Indiana State Sycamores in innings pitched with 89.1. Before transferring to ISU, he went 6-1, striking out 47 batters in only 38 innings while leading Clarendon College to a 31-6 overall record. Thus far with the Pulaski Mariners, Valdez is 1-0 and has struck-out 16 batters in 11.2 innings of work.
Rand Smith and Eric Valdez have become Dynasty’s 14th and 15th baseball clients. Dynasty is happy to include players of any color and of any nationality. Our only requirements are that you are among the best at your trade, believe in our mission, and give it your all day-in and day-out.
3 replies on “Dynasty Welcomes Rand Smith and Eric Valdez”
Congrats! My question is how does an agency survive by signing 20th and 35th round picks??? Where does the income come from? Also, I heard in baseball, you have to buy the players their equipment.
Good question. We don't look at round numbers to judge talent. That
needs to be done by scouting how the players actually perform on the
field. We make money on advising and then once players sign major
league contracts. Signing a player after he accepts his bonus is a
risk, but so is playing the stock market.
If possible, can you tell us what types of equipment that you purchase for your players – fielding gloves, batting gloves, bats, shoes, warm up gear, etc.? Why is it necessary to point out that you accept players of all colors and nationality – no need to make that explicit, your readers should know that you try to break down rational boundaries and religious ones too and treat everyone as equals. Keep up the good work. I do think it is difficult to build a baseball practice without having any major league players providing a stream of income but it seems that Parise is close to a cup of tea at least in the MLB so don't let people hate for working with 35th round picks – you are giving these kids a chance to succeed hopefully.
We have purchased every type of equipment that you listed for various clients. Additionally, we have relationships with some companies who provide equipment to our players free-of-charge. It's very difficult to build any type of practice in any profession in the manner that we have attempted to do it. It sure makes life interesting, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.