If there was any lingering doubt about the Chicago Cubs turning the page on the Kyle Tucker chapter, Opening Night of Cubs Convention made it crystal clear. The team rolled out a highlight reel of their 2025 campaign-an emotional, high-energy montage meant to fire up the fanbase. But two things were conspicuously absent: Game 5 of the NLDS against the Brewers, and any footage of Kyle Tucker.
That’s not subtle. That’s a message.
Tucker’s lone season in Chicago was a rollercoaster, and not the kind Cubs fans enjoy riding. When he arrived, he looked every bit the superstar the Cubs hoped they were getting.
He tore through the first half of the season with MVP-level production, earning a spot on the National League All-Star team. His bat was electric, his presence in the lineup undeniable.
But then came the injuries-and the unraveling.
In the second half, Tucker battled through multiple injuries, and his production cratered. He still managed to draw walks, which kept his on-base numbers respectable and his wRC+ above league average at 115.
But the power vanished. Just five home runs after the break told the story.
The swing that once punished mistakes was now just trying to survive them.
Frustration started to bubble over-not just in the box score, but in the ballpark. One particular moment at Wrigley stood out: Tucker was booed by the home crowd after failing to run out a ground ball.
That moment didn’t just sting-it signaled a shift. The trust between player and fans began to erode.
Then came the clincher. On the day the Cubs locked in a playoff berth, Tucker wasn’t with the team.
He had left to receive treatment from his personal trainers in Tampa Bay. That decision, whether medically justified or not, didn’t sit well with many inside or outside the clubhouse.
By the time Tucker signed with the Dodgers in the offseason, the goodwill he’d built early on had all but evaporated. And while the Cubs haven’t publicly detailed what went wrong behind the scenes, there have been hints.
On The Spiegel and Holmes Show on 670 The Score, Matt Spiegel suggested that Tucker wasn’t exactly a glue guy in the clubhouse. According to Spiegel, Tucker often left after his work was done, rarely sticking around or engaging with the rest of the group.
That kind of detachment doesn’t go unnoticed over a long season.
The Cubs aren’t dwelling on the past, though. They’ve already moved forward-with Alex Bregman.
And if the way they spoke about Bregman on Thursday is any indication, they believe they’ve found someone who brings not only production but presence. A leader.
A clubhouse connector. Everything Tucker, by the end, no longer seemed to be.
The Cubs may never fully open the book on what happened with Kyle Tucker. But they’ve made one thing clear: they’ve closed it. And they’re not looking back.