Remember the other day when I said if the Kansas City Royals go out and sign another veteran that I would be back? Well, it happened. The Royals on Wednesday went out and signed right-handed pitcher Ricky Nolasco to a minor league deal. Here is how the numbers shake out:

It also appears as if Nolasco has an opt out clause in his contract scheduled for March 24. I initially groaned when I heard of the signing, but I fully realize why it happened. The move feels like a knee-jerk reaction to the Jesse Hahn injury and allows the team to add some depth to the pitching staff. Nolasco started 33 games last year for the Angels, throwing 181 innings, posting a 4.92 ERA, 1.453 WHIP and an 18.2% strike out rate. He did see a higher soft-hit rate last year as well as a slight uptick in velocity across the board. Nolasco actually had a modicum of success during his 11 games in Los Angeles in 2016 and it appears he was throwing his slider less last year and throwing a split-fingered fastball more often, leading to mixed results. While it is easy to categorize this as a bad signing, there is also a chance that nothing will happen with it. If the Royals don’t feel they need him to start the year, they can stow him away on the Omaha roster in case of a rainy day (that is if he would accept the move to the minors). He could also just opt out of the deal on the 24th and be done with it. If Nolasco ends up starting more than ten games then it is apparent the Royals season has fallen off the tracks and things are not going good. Personally, I’m not a fan of the signing but I understand the need for depth and this is a low-cost deal that might not even be necessary. If you are unsure of Nolasco and what he can bring to the table, don’t have a discussion with any Twins fans; my friends up in Minnesota have already been laughing and pointing at the Royals move from afar.

But while the Nolasco news ran amok last night, the news that really caught my eye was how the Royals were the “First MLB team to take a stand against porn” and had players and coaches attend an anti-porn workshop this past weekend. Now, for some of us Royals fans this wasn’t a big surprise, since General Manager Dayton Moore discussed the “dangers of porn” all the way back in August when star pitcher Danny Duffy had been arrested for a DUI. In fact it gave us this weird answer from Moore that started out discussing drinking and driving:

We’ve done a lot of leadership stuff with our players. Very transparent about things that happen in our game, not only with drugs and alcohol. We talk about pornography, and the effects of what that does to the minds of players and the distractions, and how that leads to abuse of—domestic abuse—to abuse of women. How it impacts relationships—we talk about a lot of things. And I don’t mind sharing with you.

At the time it felt a bit out of left field, but most of us in the Kansas City area are aware Moore is a very religious man and has always been very vocal about his faith. Still…I laughed when I first saw the story of the workshop because it felt like such a Moore thing to have his players and coaches do. But then I realized it was a big deal that probably shouldn’t be glossed over.

While I’m sure Moore’s intentions are in the right place, it also feels like he is overstepping some bounds with this. Now I don’t know if this was a mandatory workshop or not, but it sure does feel that way:

 And this past weekend, those goals became reality at our groundbreaking spring training presentation event where over 200 Royals players, coaches, trainers, and staff attended.

Having that large of the organization together sure feels a bit mandatory. But even if it wasn’t, it might be something that players would still feel obligated to attend. We’ve known for a long time that Moore has treated this team like they are family and that is something as a fan that I have always appreciated about him. It creates a sense of  trust and over the years they have handled some tough situations, such as players who have stepped away from the game for a bit (Zack Greinke, Danny Duffy and Ashe Russell come to mind). This is good for the organization as a whole…but this feels different and a bit more invasive.

The one thing any employer should probably never do is mix religion and the workplace. This country is one where we are allowed certain freedoms and one of those is freedom of religion. This also means people from all walks of life have different beliefs built into their life. Pushing one’s set beliefs on another would not only be uncomfortable but also make them conflicted. To give you an idea, here is what they talked about at the anti-porn workshop:

In FTND’s awareness-raising presentation to the players, we specifically focused on how porn can impact a consumer’s overall well-being, which in turn can affect productivity, work performance, and personal image. Seeing as they are all constantly in the spotlight, and setting an example for those who look to them for inspiration, this issue is something that can greatly impact not only their careers, but their lives.

Sure sounds like a segment’s beliefs being pushed onto the players. I’m sure some agreed with what was being discussed, but I’m also sure there were some that felt this was a giant waste of time. We’ve all had jobs where we were supposed to attend meetings that either didn’t pertain to us or were talking about something that didn’t matter. But those meetings were normally based on something at least somewhat connected to your work. This instead feels like a boss wanting his employees to believe in the same ideology he believes in. It’s preaching and most people don’t like to be preached to, especially at work. Once again, while I think Moore’s heart is in the right place, his way of going about it is crossing a line.

Maybe the most bothersome part of the whole thing is that Moore has hitched his horse to porn when the issue he should probably address to his players is drinking and driving. We already mentioned the Danny Duffy DUI last year, and just barely over a year ago they lost Yordano Ventura to an automobile accident that may or may not have been alcohol related (the toxicology reports have never been released). While Moore might consider porn to be an evil to fight against, drinking and driving has affected his own team and can easily result in a loss of life. The fact that I am reporting on an anti-porn meeting and not a drunk driving one makes me feel like the organization is pushing their own agenda. Or do they not want to hear complaints from any of their alcohol sponsors? Or even lose some of those sponsorships? Talking about the effects of drinking and driving seems like a better way to send a good message while not alienating players or other employees who feel they are being talked down to.

Look…we all know the Royals are a faith-based organization. For years they have held a “Faith and Family Night” at Kauffman Stadium and that’s perfectly fine. Everyone can have their own belief system and you don’t have anyone’s toes getting stepped on. But preaching the dangers of pornography to a bunch of grown men is shaming them for what they might (or might not) do in the privacy of their own home. It’s not like Dayton is worried that his players are going to all of a sudden start turning up with wrist injuries or sore groins. No, he would like them to all be on the same page when it comes to his beliefs. These are adults who can make their own choices and are fully capable of making those decisions. Support them, get to know them and their family and even embrace who they are as human beings. But also let them decide what is pure and what is evil. I guess he should just…trust the process.