The Cubs, in the end, just did not have enough to keep up with the Brewers over the course of the five-game National League divisional series, not on the mound, not in the field and certainly not at the plate. The team could scrounge up only one run, on a homer by Seiya Suzuki, in the 3-1 losing finale against the Brewers, leaving Chicago with just 17 runs scored in five games and a collective .250 batting average.
One guy who is not at fault is star outfielder Kyle Tucker, who homered and batted .250 in the series, also drawing five walks. Tucker posted a .429 on-base percentage in the series.
And it could well be that he has played his final game as a Cub. There was ample excitement when Chicago pulled off a trade for Tucker last winter, upgrading over Cody Bellinger in the outfield, but that faded with Tucker’s second-half struggles. Now, it appears, the Cubs won’t be willing to give Tucker the kind of contract ($400 million per Spotrac) it would take to keep him in place.
Kyle Tucker Tepid on Cubs Return
Tucker certainly did not sound like a player gung-ho on coming back as he is heading into free agency. The Cubs gave up Cam Smith, Hayden Wesneski and Isaac Paredes to Houston to make the deal, and it all could have been for naught.
After the game, Tucker was tepid in his response to questions about what’s next for him.
“We’ll see what happens,” said Tucker. “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.”
Typically, a player who intends to come back does not wish his teammates luck after the last loss of the season. Doesn’t mean Tucker can’t have his socks knocked off by the Cubs and a potential offer. But it’s not a good omen.
Cubs Saw Tucker Play Through Injury
Tucker hit .266 this season, with 22 homers and a .377 on-base mark. He slugged .464, but was slowed by a fracture in his hand that he tried to play through during the summer. He then hurt his calf on September 2 and came back late in the month.
Tucker hit just .223 from July 4 on, with a .695 OPS.
Tucker said he got close with his teammates this year and foresees success in the future. “I think this team is really, really talented,” he said. “A great group of guys. And I can definitely see this team having a lot of success in the future.”
But he had not considered whether winning with the Cubs might inspire him to lower his price tag to stay pout. “I don’t really know right now,” Tucker said. “I was more worried about the game tonight and everything. I’ll kind of get through this today and worry about that a little later.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Cubs Kyle Tucker Cryptic on Future After NLDS Loss appeared first on Heavy Sports.