5 former Angels to be witnesses in Kay case

*Photo from Halos Heaven*

   In the upcoming trial against former Los Angeles Angels employee Eric Kay, the government is bringing in some major leaguers. 5 former Angels pitchers will serve as witnesses to testify that Kay distributed drugs to members of the Angels between the 2017 and 2019 seasons, leading to Kay being fired and charged.

   The tragic death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Texas on July 1, 2019, right before the Angels were set to kick off a series with the Texas Rangers. The coroner's report said that Skaggs choked to death on his vomit, which had a mix of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone in his system, which Kay allegedly provided.

   The charges against Kay are drug distribution and drug conspiracy in the death of Skaggs. The trial will start in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday. Kay faces a minimum sentence of 20 years, with a potential life sentence as the maximum sentence to prosecutors.

   Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Cam Bedrosian, Matt Harvey, and Blake Parker are the 5 pitchers who will testify at the trial, and all 5 were on the Angels at some point between 2017 and 2019. Former Angels infielder CJ Cron is also testifying. Richards and Bedrosian each started their career with the Angels, while Heaney was one of Skaggs' closest friends during their tenure in Anaheim.

   According to the filings made by the government, all 5 players are set to testify that Kay gave out oxycodone pills, that were given to Skaggs and other members of the Angels organization. Ever since he was charged, Kay has been free on his own recognizance. Heaney and Bedrosian were on the Angels for all 3 seasons that Kay has been accused of giving out the pills.

   After the news of Skaggs' death, the first game of the series against the Rangers was postponed. In the first home game since his death, the Angels threw a combined no hitter against the Seattle Mariners. Kay was also in drug rehab in April of 2019, a few months before Skaggs died, due to using oxycodone. Team officials denied knowing that Skaggs had been using drugs, and also denied knowing any employee had provided the drugs.