Tyler Skaggs’ family and the Angels reached a settlement on Friday following a years-long fight over who was at fault for the former pitcher’s tragic death.
The two sides struck a deal just as a jury was finishing up deliberations in the wrongful death case.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, though The Athletic’s Sam Blum reported there was “emotion in the courtroom as the plaintiffs” signed the pact in Santa Ana, Calif.
Skaggs’ family filed their lawsuit against the Angels in 2021, roughly two years after the former first-round pick died at the age of 27 from an accidental overdose in a hotel room in Southlake, Texas while he and the Angels were in town to play the Rangers.
Skaggs’ family had argued Eric Kay — the former Angels employee who was sentenced to over two decades in federal prison for his role in Skaggs’ death — provided a tainted pill to Skaggs that caused the tragedy.
Angels attorneys, though, claimed Kay acted on his own, and the team was in the dark about his actions.
Skaggs’ family sought over $100 million in damages, and a trial in the case began some three months ago.
Several high-profile MLB players, including Mike Trout, offered courtroom testimony. At times, attorneys called to the stand baseball wage experts, who said Skaggs’ lost career pay could have reached the $100-million-plus mark.
Friday’s settlement came after jurors “sent queries that suggested the verdict might go in the family’s favor,” ESPN reported.
Skaggs made his Major League debut in August 2012 and recorded a 28-38 record with a 4.41 ERA in his seven-year career.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
