Tyler Skaggs’ family isn't pulling punches after landmark Angels' settlement

The death of Tyler Skaggs and the subsequent legal drama have been a truly dark chapter in the Los Angeles Angels' history. There have been allegations and blame thrown in multiple directions, and it has left a stain on the franchise as a whole. Though some assumed that the settlement between the Angels and Skaggs' family would bring an end to the hostility, it may only be the beginning.

A lot of (but not all) legal settlements typically contain agreements from both sides not to discuss the terms, and also refrain from disparaging either party. This incentivizes the party paying to offer the best deal possible without admitting guilt and allows the party receiving the payment an avenue to avoid a potentially expensive appeals process even if they win in court.

However, while there was an agreement not discuss the terms of the settlement itself, there was no such agreement not to belittle each other in the Skaggs' case. That means that Skaggs' family can blast the Angels continually, and they are taking advantage of that right now.

Tyler Skaggs' family is calling for MLB to investigate the Angels, and they might get their wish

The Skaggs family is not messing around, even after presumably receiving a payment from the Angels. It seems extremely likely that a prerequisite to any settlement was that the Skaggs side could continue to advocate their position against the team in public, although there is no confirmation of that as of now. In a recent interview, Skaggs' mother, Debbie, said in no uncertain terms, "They tried to cover it up. I hope that MLB investigates it. I don’t want this to happen to any other player in any organization.”

Skaggs' death from a mix of fentanyl (listed as the primary factor), oxycodone, and alcohol led to a reckoning around the Angels' clubhouse and the culture that had been cultivated. Angels' communication director Eric Kay was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the distribution of controlled substances as a direct result of the investigation into Skaggs' death, and LA appeared to be headed for a loss in court in the Skaggs family's lawsuit against the team as well, before the settlement was reached.

As it turns out, the Skaggs family's desire for MLB to go after the Angels could potentially happen. When asked for comment on the situation by The Athletic, an MLB spokesperson said, “MLB’s legal staff obtained the full transcript for the entire trial. They are in the process of reviewing and assessing the information.”

Based on that, it is probably fair to say that any action from the league isn't particularly close to happening. However, that does not mean that Arte Moreno and the Angels are out of the woods yet, and this saga appears to be far from over.