5 MLB Contract Situations That Will No Doubt Serve as a Distraction for 2020 Season

This offseason's free agent class was absolutely stacked, but next year's batch of players isn't too shabby either. There are plenty of franchise stars who will play the 2020 season with extension and free agency speculation swirling around them all year.

But of all of the players surrounded by uncertainty, the status of these five will draw the most attention throughout the 2020 MLB campaign.

5. Kirby Yates

Yates' future is uncertain but bright. / Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

Yates established himself as one of the top closers in baseball with a 41-save season in 2019. His 1.19 ERA and 7.77 strikeouts-per-walk ratio were both career bests. The San Diego Padres have yet to decide what to do with him, though, and with one year left before he hits the open market, this could very well be a distraction if he's not signed to an extension before the trade deadline.

4. DJ LeMahieu

LeMahieu was a key force in the New York Yankees' potent offense in 2019. / Mike Stobe/Getty Images

2019 was a season for the ages for LeMahieu. In his first year in the Bronx, he posted career highs in OPS+ (136), home runs (26) and runs batted in (102). His bargain of a two-year deal with the Yankees, however, expires at the end of the 2020 season, and plenty of teams could use his services in the infield. Speculation will certainly run amok as he makes his way through his second campaign in New York. There's already been chatter among fans about wanting to extend him, so expect that to only get louder as the season progresses.

3. JT Realmuto

Realmuto has blossomed into a well-rounded star at catcher. / David Maxwell/Getty Images

The Phillies traded for JT Realmuto when he had two years of control left, and time is ticking even faster a season later. A star on both sides of the ball, he won the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger at the catcher position last year, and he's poised to do the same in 2020. But unless he and the Phillies can hammer out a much-needed extension before the regular season starts, most of the talk this year will be about what the team plans to do with him, especially if they're not playing competitive baseball at the trade deadline.

2. George Springer

Springer has been a franchise cornerstone for the Astros since he broke into the league. / Bob Levey/Getty Images

Springer was one of the core, homegrown stars that helped net the Houston Astros their first World Series title, but now he's one of the most intriguing players on an expiring contract. Though injuries limited him to just 122 games last year, he still amassed a career-high 6.2 bWAR to go along with his .974 OPS. Plenty of talk will center around whether or not he plans to stay with Houston and whether or not the sign-stealing scandal influences how teams perceive his performance and value.

1. Kris Bryant

Bryant has been a star for the Cubs, but his future with them is uncertain. / Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

In Bryant's five years as a Chicago Cub, he has been everything a team could ask for out of a franchise third baseman. A three-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year, MVP and World Series Champion, his 27.8 fWAR leads all qualified players at the hot corner since 2015. But he hasn't gotten an extension yet, and considering the ongoing battle between the Ricketts family and their ridiculous goal to not spend any money, it's a borderline guarantee that more will be said about his future than his play on the field this year.