Kyle Tucker may have just confirmed his Cubs exit with one quote

Over the last two months of the regular season, it sure felt like the Chicago Cubs were not on the same page as Kyle Tucker. Tucker saw a pair of injuries derail the end of his first season with the Cubs, and it would seem that 2025 will be his only season on the North Side. After the Cubs' fateful loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night, it sure sounded like Tucker said farewell without directly saying it.

“We’ll see what happens,” Tucker said. “I don’t know what the future’s going to hold. But if not, it was an honor playing with all these guys. And I wish everyone the best of luck, whether it’s playing (together) next year or not. It’s a really fun group to be a part of.”

Kyle Tucker didn’t say goodbye… but it sure sounded like it

To be fair to Tucker, he has played it coy throughout the entire season when talking about his free agency, but even the most optimistic of Cubs fans realize that the two sides are headed in different directions.

At the start of the season, it was clear that Tucker was in line to be the top free agent available this offseason. Once Tucker got off to a blistering hot start with the Cubs in April and May, it seemed clear that the bidding for his next contract would start at $500MM and go up from there. However, the thumb and calf injury he suffered during the closing months of the regular season led to his offensive numbers taking a tailspin.

Tucker has almost certainly lost money with his struggles and lack of availability during the final two months of the season, but the question is how much. As he proved during the first half, when he is fully healthy, he remains one of the best talents in baseball. With teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Yankees looming, the question of how much almost certainly will not be answered by the Cubs.