Royals GM continues to vouch for convicted child molester Luke Heimlich

Luke Heimlich, who pleaded guilty to molesting his 6-year-old niece in 2012, may have made his last-ever appearance on a mound on Tuesday, taking the loss in the opening game of the College World Series, but the Oregon State left-hander has been receiving some high-profile defense from the Kansas City Royals after going undrafted by MLB in two consecutive seasons.

After Royals general manager Dayton Moore first said his club was gathering information to "feel comfortable in pursuing Luke," he expanded on his potential willingness to sign a pitcher with arguably first-round talent.

"We were very interested in Luke last year. And obviously this accusation came out," Moore told Royals broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre, per Rustin Dodd of The Athletic. "So we immediately put everything on pause, as we should, to gather facts, gather information. He went out and performed this year. Not only did he achieve athletic excellence, he achieved academic excellence along the way. ... It's a very complex deal."

At 15 years old, Heimlich plead guilty to molesting his 6-year-old niece. Court documents leaked shortly before the 2017 MLB draft, due to either a clerical error or a failed check-in, revealing that he was a Level 1 sex offender in the states of Oregon and Washington. Heimlich, then a junior, took a leave as a member of the OSU baseball team, but returned for his senior year. Since then, his record has been expunged.

Moore, who previously said the Royals "believe in giving players second chances," cited outfielder Jarrod Dyson as an example. Dyson, who played 550 games with Kansas City between 2010-16, had been suspended for 50 games for taking amphetamines back in 2009. Moore said the Royals will continue to assess whether Heimlich should be given another chance as well.

"Do we know the player?" Moore said. "We do know the player. We do believe in the player and the person, in Luke Heimlich. It's just more complex than that.

"I didn't say we were going to sign him. Do I believe that he has earned an opportunity to play professional baseball? I do, because of his character over the last four or five years, what we know about him, and how he performed. I'm not going to sit here and say he 'deserves' it, because I don't know all the facts."