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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley is alleged to be an early source of prescription drugs used by Tyler Skaggs, who died after an overdose in 2019 while a member of the Los Angeles Angels.
Skaggs, who died at the age of 27 in July 2019, was teammates with Miley in 2012 and 2013 when they were both with the Arizona Diamondbacks. According to new court filings, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) baseball co-head Ryan Hamill said during a deposition that Skaggs admitted Miley provided him with painkillers after Hamill confronted him about his drug use.
“Miley’s name also came up in the criminal proceedings brought against Kay,” The Athletic's Sam Blum wrote, referring to Eric Kay, the Angels' former communications director who was sentenced to 22 years in prison on counts related to Skaggs' death. “In a recorded prison phone call federal prosecutors filed as an exhibit for Kay’s sentencing hearing, Kay told his mother that Miley had been a drug source for Skaggs.
“Miley, through his agent, declined to comment. He has not been charged with a crime or formally accused of any wrongdoing. Hamill also declined to comment.”
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Miley, 38, was selected in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Diamondbacks, for whom he played until after the 2014 season. Since then, he has played for the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and he is in his second stint with the Reds.
The Angels drafted Tyler Skaggs with the 40th overall pick in 2009 and traded him to the Diamondbacks in 2010. He made his MLB debut in August 2012 and played for the organization until December 2013, when he was traded back to the Angels. Skaggs played five seasons with the Angels, during which time he recorded a 4.25 ERA, 419 strikeouts, and a 25-32 record.
Skaggs was found dead in his Southlake, Texas, hotel room on July 1. An autopsy found that he had opioids and alcohol in his system at the time of his death.
