by J.T. Toth
Photo Courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors.
September 10, 2023
It is that time of the week when Draft 412 summarizes the past seven days of worthy news nuggets that you may have missed. Let us catch you up here:
Paul Skenes Shut Down
Pittsburgh Pirates have shut down #1 overall pick Paul Skenes from pitching anymore in 2023 after his 5th start. Skenes ended up 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched. Ben Cherington released this statement last week.
“We’re excited and encouraged by the positive things Paul has been able to accomplish in his short time in the Pirates organization. He’s checked all of the boxes we aimed for him to check during the 2023 season. The goal now is to focus on a complete off-season in preparation for this first full professional year in 2024.”
Skenes was slated to start against Dylan Crews and the Washington Nationals AA affiliate this past week, which could have been a matchup of picks #1 and #2. All Pirate fans can do now is wait for spring training and see what the Pirates plans are for him in 2024.
Penguins Hire Doug Wilson
This past week, the Penguins hired a former hall of fame defenseman Doug Wilson. He will become Senior Advisor of Hockey Operations.
Wilson spent over 25 years in management with the San Jose Sharks, including 19 as their general manager, guiding them to 14 playoff appearances. Under Wilson’s leadership, they made one Stanley Cup final, but lost to Pittsburgh in 2016.
Wilson was inducted into the 2020 Hockey Hall-of-Fame class as a player who played in 1,024 games split between the Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks.
According to the Penguins' press release, Wilson’s job will see him provide his opinion and counsel to Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas.
Andrew McCutchen Out for the Year
Veteran and fan favorite, Pirates Andrew McCutchen will miss the rest of the 2023 season with a partially torn Achilles tendon. McCutchen, 37 come October, was having a respectable season for the Bucs and was a leader in the dugout for this Pirates team since his dramatic off-season return. He was hitting .256 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI’s, and he showed that he still possessed some speed, tallying 11 stolen bases.
McCutchen, who notched his 2,000th hit earlier in the season and was sitting on 299 career home runs, does not intend on retiring and said he’ll continue to play as long as the Pirates want him to. Draft 412 predicts it is only a matter of time before McCutchen signs another one-year deal to play in Pittsburgh in 2024.
2024 NFL Hall of Fame
This past week, the NFL released its list of 1st-time eligible players for the NFL Hall of Fame class of 2024.
Here is the list of hopeful candidates:
Chargers- TE- Antonio Gates
Colts- QB- Andrew Luck
Panthers- DE- Julius Peppers
Broncos- WR- Brandon Marshall
Ravens- DL- Haloti Ngata
Chiefs- RB- Jamaal Charles
Commanders- LB- Brian Orakpo
Bengals- CB- Adam “Pacman” Jones
Seahawks- WR- Doug Baldwin
Chiefs- S- Eric Berry
Packers- WR- Jordy Nelson
Steelers- WR- Mike Wallace
Packers- OL- Josh Sitton
Panthers- RB- Jonathan Stewart
Falcons- CB- Brent Grimes
Seahawks- OL- Max Unger
Raiders- K- Sebastian Janikowski
Colts- CB- Vontae Davis
Draft 412 analysts predict that Peppers and Gates will be first ballot Hall of Famers.
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