CHICAGO — It’s over. Again.
The promising right-hander once seen as part of the Chicago Cubs’ future — Caleb Kilian — is leaving the organization that once believed he could anchor their next great rotation. Three years after arriving in Chicago as part of the Kris Bryant blockbuster trade, Kilian’s journey with the Cubs has come full circle — and this time, the goodbye feels heavier.
“I’ll miss everyone so much,” Kilian said quietly in a heartfelt message shared with fans and teammates late Friday. His words, simple yet raw, cut through the noise of a franchise still trying to find its footing between rebuild and revival.
For Kilian, this isn’t just another transaction. It’s the end of a chapter written in sweat, setbacks, and quiet resilience.
When the Cubs acquired him from San Francisco in 2021, Kilian was supposed to be a key piece of their long-term pitching puzzle — a hard-throwing righty with control, confidence, and that calm, cold-blooded demeanor on the mound. He was the kind of pitcher Chicago fans dreamed about after watching the core of 2016 fade away.
But baseball, cruel as ever, had other plans.
Injuries hit. Velocity dipped. Command wavered. Each return to the mound felt like a new test, and every demotion a reminder of how fragile a young pitcher’s path can be.
Yet through it all, Kilian never lost his fight.
He worked his way back from shoulder fatigue, reshaped his delivery, studied tape deep into the night. In Iowa, teammates described him as “the quiet worker” — a man who let his bullpen sessions speak louder than his frustration.
“I just kept telling myself: your time will come,” Kilian said earlier this year. “You never stop believing in the game that gave you everything.”
That belief carried him further than most saw coming. He made his MLB debut for the Cubs, pitched under the lights at Wrigley Field, and heard the crowd roar his name. For a kid once drafted in the eighth round, it was a dream realized — even if only for a fleeting moment.
And yet, that moment now feels like a lifetime ago.
As the Cubs continue to restructure their roster heading into 2026, Kilian’s departure marks not just another move, but a symbolic shift — the slow fading of what once was “the next wave” from the Kris Bryant trade.
It’s a reminder of how quickly promise can turn into farewell.
Still, those who know Kilian best believe his story is far from finished. Scouts still see potential in his movement, his poise, and his unshakable work ethic. He’s expected to land with another organization soon — perhaps one that can give him a fresh start, free from the shadow of what might have been in Chicago.
For now, though, Kilian’s words linger.
A quiet message to a clubhouse that once felt like home.
“I’ll miss everyone so much,” he repeated before leaving the facility. “This place changed me — not just as a player, but as a person.”
As Wrigley Field sits silent this offseason, one can almost imagine him walking down the tunnel one last time — glove in hand, head held high, eyes full of the same fire that once made him one of the Cubs’ brightest hopes.
Because sometimes, in baseball, goodbyes aren’t endings.
They’re pauses.
And maybe — just maybe — somewhere down the line, Caleb Kilian’s story with the Cubs will find its way back home.
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