Tyler Skaggs' 2019 Death From a Drug Overdose Has Many Curious About His Family

Content warning: This article includes mentions of drug abuse.

Three years after his death from a drug overdose in 2019, a member of the Los Angeles Angels staff has been sentenced for their role in the death of Tyler Skaggs. Eric Kay, the Angels employee on trial, received 22 years in prison for providing Tyler with the drugs that led to his death. He was convicted on one count each of drug conspiracy and drug distribution resulting in death.

Following the news of Kay's conviction, many were naturally curious to learn more about Skaggs, who was a professional baseball player before his death. The first thing most people wanted to know was who his wife Carli is. Carli works as a travel advisor and entered the public eye after she testified in Kay's trial.

During the trial, which took place in February of 2022, Carli testified that she was unaware of the extent of her husband's drug use. Under cross-examination, Carli explained that text messages she sent to her husband on the day of his death about his drinking problem were sent out of anger, and did not entirely reflect her understanding of her husband's problems.

Other than her appearances at the trial, Carli has kept a relatively low profile. Her Instagram account is private, and it's clear that in the aftermath of her husband's death, she's tried to live her life in a way that didn't attract unnecessary attention. During the trial, it was clear that her husband's death had a profound emotional impact on her, one that she was still recovering from.

Both of Tyler's parents were athletes. His mother Debbie was the head softball coach at Santa Monica high school, and his father Darnell had played shortstop when he was in high school. His stepfather also played baseball in college, and Tyler would often assist with his mother's practices by fielding balls. Tyler was drafted straight out of high school, with many believing he would become a great pitcher in the NBA.

Tyler was found dead on July 1, 2019 after choking to death on his own vomit in a suburban Dallas hotel room. After his death, he was found to have a mix of oxycodone, alcohol, and fentanyl in his blood.

During the trial, several Angels players testified that from 2017 to 2019, Kay was obtaining drugs and giving them to players in addition to using them himself.

During his sentencing hearing, new evidence was brought to light that Kay had made derogatory comments about Skaggs and his family after he was convicted. When discussing Tyler's family, Kay said that all they were after was a pay day.

"All they see are dollar signs," he said during a recorded phone conversation. "They may get more money with him dead than [when] he was playing because he sucked."

The maximum sentence for Kay's conviction was 20 years, but the judge in the case added two extra years because of these comments.