The Los Angeles Angels have reached a confidential settlement with the family of late pitcher Tyler Skaggs, bringing an end to a lengthy and revealing civil trial. The resolution came on Friday, December 19, 2025, as jurors in Santa Ana, California, were nearing the end of their deliberations.
A Trial Revealing Team Negligence and Drug Use
The two-month trial centred on whether the Angels organization bore responsibility for Skaggs' tragic death in July 2019. The 27-year-old left-handed pitcher was found dead in a hotel room in suburban Dallas while on a road trip to face the Texas Rangers. A coroner determined he choked on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone in his system.
The lawsuit alleged that the team knew or should have known that its then-communications director, Eric Kay, was a drug addict dealing painkillers to players. Testimony revealed that Kay provided Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl. Kay was convicted in 2022 for his role in Skaggs' death and sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Jurors had already concluded the Angels were negligent. Jasson Thach, one of the jurors, stated the panel was moving to determine what percentage of responsibility the team held and was estimating damages between $60 million and $100 million.
A Culture of Party and Painkillers Exposed
The civil trial painted a disturbing picture of drug use within the club. More than 40 witnesses testified, including star outfielder Mike Trout and Angels president John Carpino. Evidence described players drinking and partying on team flights and paying Kay for clubhouse stunts.
Testimony detailed how Kay, who was sent on the Texas trip shortly after returning from rehab, obtained prescription medication for players and was later found with bags of pills at his home. Witnesses also confirmed Skaggs had struggled with painkillers earlier in his career and had snorted a pill the night he died.
The Angels contended in a statement that team officials would have helped Skaggs if they had known about his drug use, calling his death "a tragedy" that highlights the dangers of opioids.
Closure After Six Years of Grief
For Skaggs' family—including his widow, Carli Skaggs, and his parents—the settlement marks the end of a six-year legal battle. Their attorney, Rusty Hardin, told reporters, "Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of their lives after six years of living with this."
Jurors expressed relief that a settlement was reached, sparing them the difficult task of assigning a monetary value to a life and determining precise percentages of fault among Skaggs, Kay, and the team. Deborah Song, another juror, said, "I am so happy because that way I don't have to put a number on somebody's life."
Orange County Superior Court Judge H. Shaina Colover thanked the jurors for their diligence, noting it was instrumental in allowing the parties to resolve the matter.
