Former Los Angeles Angels employee Eric Kay was found guilty for distributing fentanyl and causing the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in 2019.
Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room during a road trip with the Angels.
The Angels released a statement after the verdict.
LA #Angels statement on the Eric Kay trial pic.twitter.com/BdWWsjLjoI
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 17, 2022
They said, among other things, they are “saddened by the devastating heartache” that surrounds this tragedy, especially for the pitcher’s family.
Four former and current Angels players testified this week in the trial.
The Angels said the players’ testimony is “a reminder that too often drug use and addiction are hidden away.”
They closed their statement thanking the league and the Players Association for updating their drug policy “for players using opioids, so that they can receive help.”
The Skaggs family also released a statement.
The Skaggs family has issued a statement via their attorneys: “We are very grateful to the government and the jury for seeing this important case through to the right verdict. Tyler was the light of our family. He is gone, and nothing can ever bring him back. We are relieved…
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) February 17, 2022
“We are very grateful to the government and the jury for seeing this important case through to the right verdict. Tyler was the light of our family. He is gone, and nothing can ever bring him back. We are relieved that justice was served, although today is a painful reminder of the worst day in the life of our family,” they said.
Kay Is Being Taken Into Custody
According to ESPN’s T.J. Quinn, the sentence will be known on June 28, but Kay is being taken into custody.
Skaggs’s wife and mother were present in the trial.
Kay will spend a minimum of 20 years in prison.
Eric Kay faces a minimum 20-year sentence. https://t.co/K7VvM7K9Zc
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) February 17, 2022
This was a rough week for MLB regarding drug use by players, with many revelations made by pitcher Matt Harvey.
Harvey said that Kay was Skaggs’ usual provider, but he also gave powerful drugs to Skaggs.
It’s something that should greatly concern both the league and the union, because it’s a problem that goes well beyond baseball.
Addiction, especially drug addiction, cannot be taken lightly, so here is hoping players can receive all the help they need.
NEXT: Noah Syndergaard Reminds MLB Fans What They Are Missing
