Baseball players in a contract year are players who will soon gain free agent status, enabling them to negotiate much bigger contracts. Because of this, baseball players in contract year compete hard for the big money that is up for grabs in new contract deals and bonuses. A player who does exceptionally well in a contract year may gain attention, which could lead to higher offers for future contracts. Similarly, a professional baseball player who performs poorly in a contract year may see his offers diminished and may have trouble securing a lucrative contract. The intense pressure to compete and secure high earning contracts has led many players in recent years to break the rules to get ahead. The use of illegal steroids and other performance enhancing substances that are banned under the rules of professional baseball has increased in recent years, and drug screens of players have turned up positive results for banned substances.