Ex-Angels employee Eric Kay sentenced to 22 years in prison in connection with Tyler Skaggs' death

A Texas judge sentenced former Los Angeles Angels director of communications Eric Kay to 22 years in federal prison Tuesday in connection with the 2019 death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

Kay, 48, was facing a minimum sentence of 20 years after being convicted earlier this year of distributing the fentanyl-laced opioids that resulted in Skaggs' overdose. He received two additional years of prison time after prosecutors revealed disparaging comments Kay made about Skaggs in recent months while awaiting sentencing.

"I hope people realize what a piece of (expletive) he is," Kay told his mother in a recorded call from prison that prosecutors submitted as evidence Tuesday. "Well, he's dead, so (expletive) him."

Kay also described Skaggs' family as "white trash" and suggested that "all they see are dollar signs" in the wake of the pitcher's death. (The Skaggs family sued Kay and the Angeles for negligence in 2021.)

"They may get more money with him dead than he was playing, because he sucked," Kay said.

According to multiple news reports, the judge in the case, Terry Means, said during Tuesday's sentencing hearing that Kay's vulgar comments contributed to his decision to levy a 22-year sentence as opposed to the 20-year minimum.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Kay apologized in court for the remarks, chalking them up to "frustration" and "vitriol." He later called Skaggs "a sweetheart," according to the newspaper.

"Mr. Kay will immediately file his notice of appeal and continue to fight the allegations," Kay's lawyer, Cody Cofer, wrote in an email.

Skaggs, 27, was found dead on his bed in a Texas hotel room on July 1, 2019, a few hours before the Angels were set to play a game against the Texas Rangers. A toxicology report later revealed that he had both fentanyl and oxycodone in his system at the time of his death, which was ruled an accident.

Kay initially denied knowing that Skaggs used opioids, but investigators later obtained text messages between the two men about apparent transactions involving "blue boys" – blue oxycodone pills that were later found to be laced with fentanyl.

According to evidence submitted by prosecutors, Skaggs asked Kay to deliver pills to his hotel room on the night of his death.

"Hoe [sic] many?" Kay asked Skaggs in one text message.

"Just a few like 5," the pitcher replied.

Multiple former Angels players – including Matt Harvey and C.J. Cron – testified at Kay's trial in February that the former team communications director had also provided them with pills, including at Angel Stadium.

A jury convicted Kay after less than 90 minutes of deliberations. He has since been incarcerated at a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas.

U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement Tuesday that he hopes Kay's sentence "will bring some comfort to (Skaggs') grieving family."

"The Skaggs family learned the hard way: One fentanyl pill can kill," Meacham said. "That’s why our office is committed to holding to account anyone who deals in illicit opioids, whether they operate in back alleyways or world class stadiums."

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyler Skaggs' death: Eric Kay sentenced to 22 years in prison