MLB Free Agency: Players Who Will Fold Under the Pressure of a Contract Year

Each season, certain players have the added pressure of playing the MLB season under a contract year.

Sometimes this motivates the player, and he has a breakout season. Oftentimes the player struggles knowing the consequences of poor play.

Big-name players like Brian McCann, Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano, Josh Hamilton and Cole Hamels face a contract year to some degree in 2012.

The Braves and Yankees have club options on McCann and Cano respectively, but the others are unrestricted.

Did any of these All-Stars make the list of players who will fold in 2012? Who else will struggle to handle the pressure this season?

Mike Napoli

The power-hitting Mike Napoli enjoyed a breakout season in 2011, his first year with the Texas Rangers.

Napoli produced career highs in average (.320), on-base percentage (.414), home runs (30) and RBI (75) in just 113 games in 2011. Napoli also swung a hot bat the entire postseason for the Rangers.

Napoli is a versatile player who can play either catcher or first base, but will see his numbers drop off some in 2012.

Napoli has to split playing time at catcher and first base with Yorvit Torrealba and Mitch Moreland. That limits his at-bats and adds extra pressure for him to produce when in the lineup.

Albeit early in 2012, Napoli has gotten off to a slow start with just one hit and one RBI.

Expect a down-year from Napoli in comparison with his 2011 season.

James Loney

The first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers has been a consistent performer for the last five years.

James Loney doesn't exude extreme power for a first baseman, but stays healthy and hits for a good average.

In 2011, Loney hit .288 with 12 home runs and 65 RBI. An average season for Loney.

Loney has gotten off to a rocky start in 2012. In 13 plate appearances he has yet to manage a hit.

Loney possesses a quiet, laid-back personality and may struggle with the extra pressure of a contract year. New ownership is taking over the Dodgers, so they may be looking to go in another direction if Loney struggles.

Loney knows this, and will feel pressure to produce this season.

Kelly Johnson

Kelly Johnson has bounced around from team to team and has never really established himself anywhere.

He plays second base and some outfield, and finds himself playing for the Toronto Blue Jays this year.

Johnson has never lived up to his first-round draft choice status from 2005, and struggled with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year before being traded to the Blue Jays.

Johnson is an inconsistent player with decent power, but doesn't hit for average.

Being in Toronto, on a team that will most likely not contend in the daunting AL East should help Johnson out.

However, his inconsistencies in the past leads one to believe he will endure a slump at some point this season. The slump could get into his head and cause him to lose some money in the offseason.

Yuniesky Betancourt

The Milwaukee Brewers chose not to exercise their club-option on Yuniesky Betancourt following the 2011 season, and he subsequently signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Royals.

Teams are unsure if Betancourt is a long-term option at shortstop, and as such, he has bounced around the league.

Betancourt should feel somewhat comfortable being back in Kansas City, where he previously played two seasons.

Pressure is not high in Kansas City, but it will be for Betancourt. Betancourt knows teams doubt his ability to be a long-term option.

This is a big year for Betancourt to cut down on his strike outs and play solid defense.

Betancourt is off to a good start with a .333 batting average and only one strike out. However, he hasn't hit above .260 the last four seasons and don't expect it to change this year.

Placido Polanco

The Philadelphia Phillies have a $5.5 million club-option on Placido Polanco following the 2012 season.

The 37-year-old third baseman is nearing the end of his career and wants to get another ring.

Polanco has an opportunity to help himself out by stepping up in the absence of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

However, Polanco's batting average dipped more than 20 points from 2010 to 2011.

Polanco will have to carry a bigger load without Howard and Utley, and could see less pitches and feel extra pressure.

Fans in Philadelphia will not be patient with Polanco if his age catches up to him and neither will the Phillies.

Polanco is hitting .154 in the early part of the season, which is an early sign that his production will continue to suffer.

Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton is off to a torrid start in 2012. Hamilton is hitting a cool .500 with two home runs already.

It's hard to imagine Hamilton keeping up with the pace he's been hitting at the last few years.

The other parts to consider with Hamilton, are the injury concerns and his off-the-field problems.

Hamilton battled a shoulder injury last season and had a heel and groin injury during Spring Training this year.

Nobody wants to see Hamilton have a relapse with alcohol, but it happened in the offseason and unfortunately can happen again.

Hamilton will not undergo a significant drop-off in production. However, there is a good chance his contract year is the one where his stats aren't up to his lofty standards.

Michael Bourn

The Atlanta Braves thought when they acquired Michael Bourn that he'd be the piece to get them to the World Series.

Bourn wasn't at fault for the Braves' collapse in 2011, but finds himself in the mix of what seems to be bad karma.

The Braves are off to an 0-4 start for the first time since 1988, and Bourn is hitting .133 with zero stolen bases.

Bourn has stolen over 50 bases the last four seasons and more than 60 in three of those years.

So far in 2012, Bourn has not been the table-setter the Braves had hoped for.

Bourn has time to turn it around but looks to be caught up in a hitting mess in Atlanta.

Carlos Quentin

Carlos Quentin is a talented outfielder who now plays on the San Diego Padres.

Quentin possesses tremendous power but struggles to hit for average. In 2008, Quentin hit .288 with 36 home runs and 100 RBI for the Chicago White Sox.

Since then, Quentin seems to be pressing and has not hit above .260. The power hasn't left Quentin, but he isn't as complete a player either.

Quentin is currently on the 15-day DL and is expected back at the end of April.

The change of scenery may help Quentin settle down, but coming off a knee injury leads to major questions as to how productive he will be this season.

Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels is one of the best young pitchers in the game and is part of the best starting pitching staff in baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hamels pitched over 200 innings the last two years with an ERA under 3.50 in both of those seasons.

The problem for Hamels this season is that he won't have Howard or Utley in the lineup for a significant amount of games.

Hamels will likely press to make the perfect pitch because he won't have many runs to work with.

Hamels doesn't have to worry about not having a team next year. He has shown he is extremely talented and will get paid.

That doesn't mean that he will be unhittable in 2012. In fact, it would be a huge surprise if he posts an ERA around 3.00 again with 15 or more wins.

Gavin Floyd

The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Gavin Floyd in the top-five picks of the 2004 MLB draft.

Floyd is now with the Chicago White Sox and has not lived up to the hype.

The White Sox have a $9.5 million option to re-sign Floyd after the 2012 season. Floyd's best year came in 2008 when he posted 17 wins with a 3.84 ERA.

Post 2008, Floyd has not posted an ERA under 4.00 or gotten more than 12 wins.

A $9.5 million option is a steep price. Floyd needs to have a really good year to give the White Sox a reason to re-sign him.

Floyd started slow in 2012 by giving up five runs in his first start. Like many other players around the league, Floyd will struggle with the pressure of a contract year.