[01-08-2025] – Family of MLB Pitcher Tyler Skaggs, Angels Battle Over Cell Phones as Wrongful Death Trial Looms

Los Angeles, CA – The family of Tyler Skaggs, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, and the Los Angeles Angels are embroiled in an intense legal dispute. Both parties accuse each other of not adhering to court orders related to a civil lawsuit that is scheduled for trial in just three months.

The core of the disagreement revolves around cell phones. The Angels are attempting to access data from Skaggs’ phone, while his family is seeking information from a number of Angels employees, including team owner Arte Moreno.

Tragically, Skaggs passed away in 2019 after consuming a dangerous combination of fentanyl and alcohol. His family subsequently filed a civil suit against the Angels, claiming the team either knew or should have known sufficient details to prevent his untimely death. Should they be found liable, the Angels could be facing damages amounting to hundreds of millions.

Eric Kay, a former communications staff member for the Angels, was convicted in federal court in 2022 for supplying drugs to Skaggs. The civil trial is set to commence on April 7 in Orange County Superior Court, despite the Angels recently seeking a delay until late 2025. A crucial meeting between both sides and Judge H. Shaina Colover is scheduled for Friday to discuss the trial preparation updates.

The family, which includes Skaggs’ widow Carli, his mother Debbie Hetman, and his father Darrell Skaggs, argue through their legal representatives that the Angels’ team is attempting to “run out the clock.” According to California law, a civil case must proceed to trial within five years of its filing, or it risks being dismissed. For this case, the deadline is June 2026.

The ongoing disagreements focus largely on evidence that needs to be disclosed through the discovery process. Retired Judge Gail Andler has been designated as the discovery referee for this case. The Angels argue that the plaintiff’s side has failed to comply with a 2023 court order to provide the contents of Tyler Skaggs’ cell phone. On the other hand, the family’s attorneys maintain that they have met their obligations, providing everything except for files that are redacted for privacy.

On November 20, Andler ruled in favor of the Angels, ordering that a full report on the phone’s contents be produced “without redaction, save for any sexually explicit photographs involving Plaintiffs or any third-party medical information.” The Angels’ legal team stated in court documents that the complete contents of the phone are pivotal to their defense. Their interest heightened following a Washington Post article, which cited Skaggs’ text messages regarding drug use dating back to 2012.

In a November filing, the Angels expressed, “Angels Baseball expects that the Cell Phone will conclusively establish that Skaggs’s demise was the direct result of his own illegal, habitual snorting of street opioids.” They maintain that the phone will ultimately show that Tyler Skaggs alone is responsible for his death.

Discrepancies surrounding the withheld documents from the phone are being interpreted legally. The Angels allege that over 28,000 files are missing, while the family contends the number is less than 700. An additional challenge is that the family only possesses a digital copy of the phone while the physical device remains with federal prosecutors in Texas. A court-appointed official tasked with managing evidence from the phone has not been granted access to it in Texas.

The discovery disputes also extend to cell phones used by Angels employees. The family has requested the Angels to retrieve relevant cell phone data from staffers whose devices are assumed to be work-related. Recent court rulings have specifically addressed the phones owned by Moreno, chairman Dennis Kuhl, and traveling secretary Tom Taylor. According to a court filing, the Angels’ lawyers found no pertinent information on the devices of Moreno and Kuhl, but some documents were retrieved from Taylor’s devices. Andler indicated that this was insufficient, instructing the attorneys to clarify their search processes, including which personal devices and accounts were examined.

This contentious battle over discovery has delayed the deposition of witnesses from both sides. The family claims that the Angels have repeatedly postponed depositions with their employees. Both parties have until March 7 to conduct witness depositions ahead of the trial, with the family aiming to question key individuals, including Moreno and star center fielder Mike Trout. Trout’s deposition is set for January 15.

Amid all the legal conflicts, it remains conceivable that the case might never reach trial if both parties reach a settlement. As California follows proportional liability laws, it’s crucial to recognize that the Angels could be liable for damages even if only partially responsible for Skaggs’ death. For example, if a jury determines that the Angels were 10% liable for the circumstances leading to Skaggs’ death, they would be required to cover 10% of the damages.

The Angels contend that none of their management were aware of Skaggs’ drug use prior to his death. They believe that data from his cell phone would likely demonstrate that he was concealing his drug habits from the team. Conversely, the family argues that the Angels were indeed aware, hinging much of their case on an incident in April 2019 when Kay was hospitalized following a drug overdose. Tim Mead, who oversaw Kay at that time, was allegedly involved in discussions with Kay’s mother about the drug’s link to Skaggs. Mead has denied having any such knowledge.