Chicago Cubs: Kyle Tucker all but says goodbye in final comments of 2025 season

“We’ll see what happens,” the soon-to-be free agent Tucker told ESPN after Saturday’s game, when asked about the possibility of remaining a Cub. “I don’t know what the future is going to hold. If not, it was an honor playing with all these guys and I wish everyone the best of luck, whether it’s playing next year or not with them. It’s a really fun group to be a part of.”

The four-time All-Star will officially hit the open market after the completion of the World Series. It seems increasingly unlikely that the Cubs would outbid the free-spending suitors who will line up to compete for his services. The 28-year-old’s free market value as the top-rated position player of the 2026 free agent class puts him in elite-tier company and it’s expected to bag him a contract somewhere in the $300-$500 million range over 9-10 years. The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies have all been mentioned as potential bidders on the multi-tool star.

“I was more worried about the game tonight and everything,” Tucker added. “I’ll kind of get through this today and worry about that a little later.”

The good and bad of the Tucker trade

Tucker, heading into the final year of his contract, was acquired this past offseason in a 3-for-1 trade with the Houston Astros for third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Heyden Wesneski, and no. 1 draft pick Cam Smith.

For the Cubs, the deal’s been a mixed bag.

Tucker’s first-half excellence helped propel the team to great success, establishing Chicago as a team to beat early on in the season.

His career-worst extended second-half slump, however, contributed greatly to the team’s post All-Star break offensive flat-lining. From July first to the end of the season, Tucker hit .225 with just five home runs and 21 RBIs. He also missed more than three weeks in September with a left calf strain that forced him into the DH role for the rest of the regular season and throughout the playoffs.

He finished the year batting.266 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs, but there’s been plenty of chatter the last couple months about whether the Cubs should even enter the conversation when it comes to giving him such a long and lucrative contract. His inconsistency this season, along with the accumulation of nagging injuries, makes a decade-long investment somewhat dubious.

Evaluating Tucker’s worth

There’s no denying, though, that when Tucker’s right, he makes the entire team around him better.

“He meant a lot,” Cubs first baseman Michael Busch said of Tucker’s contributions to the team. “The consistency of at-bat. Getting on base and driving [in runs]. He’s just as complete of a hitter as you can get. I think putting him in any lineup, he’s going to be right up at the top. I think he’s one of the best hitters in the game. He can change that lineup just with putting him in there.”

Tucker’s last words of the 2025 season sure give the impression that he’s already working on his final goodbyes. Time will tell whether he’ll be moving on.