Tucker on free agency, Cubs return: 'We'll see'

With the Chicago Cubs' play having travel to an end, the questions astir Kyle Tucker's aboriginal tin start.

One of the biggest prizes connected the marketplace entering escaped agency, the outfielder said aft Saturday's nonaccomplishment successful Game 5 of the NL Division Series to the Milwaukee Brewers that helium isn't definite what's next.

"We'll spot what happens," said Tucker, who agreed to a $16.5 cardinal woody to debar arbitration this season. "I don't cognize what the aboriginal is going to hold. If not, it was an grant playing with each these guys and I privation everyone the champion of luck, whether it's playing adjacent twelvemonth oregon not with them. It's a truly amusive radical to beryllium a portion of."

The summation of Tucker, who was acquired via commercialized from the Houston Astros anterior to this season, buoyed the Cubs' hopes of a heavy postseason run. And erstwhile Tucker was steadfast and rolling aboriginal successful the season, helium was a viable MVP campaigner and a catalyst successful a dynamic, varied offense.

However, Tucker, who turns 29 successful January, suffered a fractured close manus successful June and a calf strain successful September arsenic the Brewers won the NL Central by 5 games implicit the Cubs, who landed the apical wild-card spot astatine 92-70.

Still, helium slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 location runs, 73 RBIs and 25 steals successful 136 games portion earning an All-Star motion for the Cubs this season. He returned successful clip for the playoffs and was 7-for-27 with a location tally and 1 RBI.

"He meant a lot," Cubs archetypal baseman Michael Busch told reporters. "The consistency of at-bat. Getting connected basal and driving [in runs]. He's conscionable arsenic implicit of a hitter arsenic you tin get. I deliberation putting him successful immoderate lineup, he's going to beryllium close up astatine the top. I deliberation he's 1 of the champion hitters successful the game. He tin alteration that lineup conscionable with putting him successful there."

But Tucker and the Cubs ne'er came to an statement connected a semipermanent woody arsenic the play unfolded.

"I don't truly cognize close now," Tucker said erstwhile asked if the Cubs person an vantage successful signing him arsenic a escaped agent. "I was much disquieted astir the crippled contiguous and everything. I'll benignant of get done this contiguous and interest astir that a small later.

"I deliberation this squad is really, truly talented. A large radical of guys. And I tin decidedly spot this squad having a batch of occurrence successful the future."

ESPN's Jesse Rogers and Bradford Doolittle contributed to this report.