RIP Tyler Skaggs

Angels signed Andrew Heaney to a $6.75 mil deal in the offseason to avoid arbitration. It was his last arbitration year before free agency.

Baseball Reference lists Heaney as Skaggs’ No. 1 comp. So you figure Skaggs’ estate is getting at least $6.75 mil. They both made about the same in 2019. Throw in $4.3 mil to match Heaney’s salary last year.

Then what does Heaney get on the free agent market? $50 mil?

Skaggs’ estate’s lawyers should argue the Angels cost him and his family at least $60 million.

 

But its not too late to do so! You can do anything!

 

I just finished a teaching credential. Give me a few years. Meanwhile, I’m living vicariously through my wife who is going through it now.

 

I’m a bleeding heart (for a defense side employment lawyer), but let’s be real. The team didn’t give him drugs to have him perform. A fellow drug addict hooked him up. At some point, there is ownership for your bad decisions.

 

Addiction is a disease. How do you know the club wasn't just making sure he got what he needed to stay out of withdrawal?

 

It’s a heck of a theory. Or perhaps one drug user who works for the same employer found another drug user with a better connection. Doesn’t mean their employer has to foot the bill.

 

It doesn’t but they had better pray there was no one in the organization who knew and did nothing. Or at least no way they could have known.

 

If the organization said — let’s make sure he deals with pain management issues by procuring illegal drugs through a random employee, then maybe. otherwise, then maybe it’s not the team’s fault and his family is looking for a deep pocket.

 

Oh there’s no question the family is looking for deep pockets. They don’t sue them without the possibility of deep pockets. They also don’t get money unless the organization has some exposure. The organization is in a bad starting point because it was an employee providing the drugs. So it now becomes could the organization have stopped it? Why didn’t they stop it? And goes much did they actually know? The organization arguably has a large stake in making sure their pitcher stays healthy and provides them with resources to stay healthy. Hours much did Skaggs or Eric Key prevent them from putting a stop to it and how much of it was people not wanting to ask uncomfortable questions.

 

That's why you ask for $60 million with enough logic that you could convince a jury. No way the Angels' lawyers want this case to even watch a trial scene on a Perry Mason TV show much less play out in front of an actual jury. They counter with 20% of that and you never hear of this again.

 

Looks like it's not just the Angels PR and training staffs who like to hide facts.

Prosecutors in Tyler Skaggs case accuse Angels of not complying with subpoena

 

If they lose, they might have to ship Shohei and Trout to the Yankees. Gasp.