Most Valued Royals: Counting Down The Current 25

Now officially one week from the 2012 trade deadline, I thought it would be a good exercise to look at the current Kansas City Royals roster in terms of value to the organization. In determining the order, not only are you looking at stats, but you also have to take in factors such as age, contract, and who is behind them in the minor league organization.

We'll look at this list going from least valued current Royal to who is the most valued.

25. Jeff Francoeur - Currently hitting .247/.286/.375, Francoeur was a nice surprise last season, but he has regressed more to his norm this year and is blocking the phenom known as Wil Myers in right field.

24. Jarrod Dyson - It what speed do is about all Dyson does. He'd be a good fourth or fifth outfielder to be used as a pinch runner on a playoff bound team, but that is obviously not where Kansas City is.

23. Yuniesky Betancourt - Currently the second oldest hitter on the Royals roster, Betancourt is a bad defensive infielder who is currently -10 on runs average in the field. He has some pop, but he doesn't walk or hit for average.

22. Jeremy Guthrie - Guthrie finds number 22 mostly because of age, and the fact he has been brutal in 2012. The 33-year old is bound to be better than Jonathan Sanchez, and if he shows any signs of life, he'll likely be in the Royals rotation in 2013. He has pitched 200+ innings, each of the last three years.

21. Brayan Pena - Pena may be a switch-hitter, but he also doesn't have a strong arm behind the plate. Kansas City would lose a true clubhouse guy if he were to leave. However from a production standpoint, the Royals wouldn't miss a step by having anyone else be the backup catcher.

20. Louis Coleman - The 26-year-old hasn't had quite the year like he did in 2011, but he still has a 3.29 ERA in 90.1 career innings.

19. Luke Hochevar - Hochevar has the stuff, we just don't often see it. He has value, but unfortunately it's as a fifth starter, not the ace many hoped he would be.

18. Jonathan Broxton - I wish I could put Broxton down further in the 20's, but the man converts saves and has trade value. It will be a mistake if the Royals don't ship him off in the next week, no matter the return

17. Will Smith - Smith has been rocky thus far, but is just 22 and has a 3.61 ERA in 15 starts at AAA this season.

16. Jose Mijares - Mijares has quietly put together a 2-1 record with a 1.72 ERA this season. At 27, he should at least have teams interested in acquiring the left-handed reliever.

15. Bruce Chen - Chen's 5.57 ERA this year causes eyes to roll, but sadly he had been the most consistent Royals starter over the last three seasons. He may be reaching the end of his big league career, but he has the experience to at least keep the Royals in the game throughout the remainder of the season.

14. Chris Getz - I would never have imagined Getz being this high, but he is batting .303 this season and is much better defensively than Betancourt.

13. Everett Teaford - Teaford is a solid reliever, the only problem is that he currently is starting due to the lack of starting pitching available.

12. Luis Mendoza - The Dozer has a 4.31 ERA, a season after dominating AAA. At 28, he is what he is, but he shows glimpses of being a late bloomer that could possibly help the Royals down the road as a long reliever.

11. Lorenzo Cain - The Royals haven't been able to see if Cain can be their every day centerfielder as of yet, but a .306/.315/.490 average in his first 15 games is promising.

10. Aaron Crow - Crow has a 3.21 ERA in his short career, and has improved his WHIP from 1.39 to 1.25 this season. The question remains if he can be a starter or not.

9. Greg Holland - A possible future closer, Holland was nasty last year with a 1.80 ERA and .093 WHIP.

8. Tim Collins - A lefty reliever, Collins has been overworked the past two seasons, but he is brilliant when he is rested.

7. Kelvin Herrera - Like Holland, Herrera has the stuff of a future closer. He has a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, while striking out nearly a batter an inning.

6. Eric Hosmer - Hosmer was the poster-child for the re-emergence of the Royals organization. Though he has been disappointing this year, he is just 22 and has time to figure it out.

5. Alex Gordon - Gordon quietly is a solid all-around player. The 2011 Gold Glove winner, Gordon has improved his batting average to near .300 after starting off the season so poor.

4. Alcides Escobar - It's rare you find a shortstop as gifted as Escobar is defensively. He is batting .311 this year, and has shown flashes of pop. If he can bat near .300, with almost 10 home runs a year, the Royals have something.

3. Mike Moustakas - Moose has become the fan favorite, and has worked hard on his fielding. He has went from being a liability, to know being mentioned as a future Gold Glove winner.

2. Billy Butler - It's often overlooked that Butler is still just 26 years old. It seems like he should be 30 by now. With an average near .300, Butler also leads the Royals in home runs and RBI. He may not be fast, or exceptional in the field, but Butler is on his way to a Edgar Martinez type career.

1. Salvador Perez - Perez is the real deal. Not only is he exceptional behind the plate, but he hits for power and average. That is a rare combination to see all three in a catcher.

For continued Royals coverage, make sure to head on over to Royals Review.