If you're tired of seeing Shelley Duncan bat .230 with a strikeout every 2.8 at-bats, the arrival of Johnny Damon to the Indians on Tuesday is welcome news.

If you're hoping for a significant boost to your fantasy baseball outfield, you likely will be disappointed.

Yes, Damon was productive with the Rays last season, batting .261 with 79 runs, 16 homers, 73 RBI and 19 steals.

However, he won't help you much in the power department -- he had a combined 24 homers in 1,121 at-bats in 2010 and '11, and his stolen-base total likely will be down significantly from a few seasons ago.

Damon hit 24 homers in 2009, a number that is deceiving because 17 were at Yankee Stadium, where he could take advantage of the short porch in right field. In the two seasons since, he averaged 12 homers, 62 RBI, 15 steals and 80 runs, and he batted .266 -- 20 points below his career norm.

In the last three seasons, Damon has averaged 17 steals -- down 10 from his three-year norm from 2006-08.

Even worse, in 75 at-bats at Progressive Field from 2007 to '11, he had zero homers and five RBI. In that span, he scored 12 runs, stole three bases and hit .293.

It's to be expected that Damon's numbers will be down across the board at age 38. But if he's not going to be a decent help in steals and batting average, he's not worth playing in almost any format.

Then there's the likelihood he will be in a left-field platoon with Duncan, with Damon getting the majority of the at-bats against right-handers, and we're left with little hope for fantasy success.

If you're desperate in an AL-only league, Damon could be a decent choice if he keeps his average in the .280 range and steals at least 15 bases.

In mixed leagues, you should keep him on your bench.

If you ever want to strike for a major, lopsided trade, wait until a superstar gets off to a slow start in the fantasy baseball season's first week and look for an owner who seems on the verge of panic.

This year's target: the best player in the game, Albert Pujols.

Pujols is off to a slow start -- 4-for-22 (.182) with two runs scored, one home run, one extra-base hit, three RBI and a .558 OPS this season.

To show the lengths of desperation some owners reach, check out the message board on the right of Pujols' CBSSports.com player page.

This concerning a player who averaged 41 homers, 123 RBI, 119 runs and eight stolen bases in his first 10 major-league seasons. A player who is a .331 career hitter with a 1.048 OPS.

A sign Pujols might not be scuffling as much as you might think: He has one more walk (two) than strikeouts (one) this season.

Yes, his impending free agency could be on his mind, though he would never admit it. But that shouldn't worry you in the least.

Last July, the Cardinals first baseman hit an un-Pujols-like .267 and had six homers and 15 RBI in 101 at-bats.

The next month, he batted .379 with 11 homers, 23 RBI, 29 runs and a 1.230 OPS in 103 at-bats.

You might point to the fact that Pujols doesn't normally struggle in April (from 2008 to 2010, he was a .350 hitter this month). Keep in mind, those numbers are from a much larger sample size -- an average of 89 at-bats per April in that span, not 22.

Pujols will begin to rake soon. If you're not convinced, offer him up on your league message board and see how many willing trade partners you have.

No Rays of hope

When Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez were introduced to the Tampa Bay media on Feb. 1, Ramirez, when asked about playing 162 games, said to Damon: "You play 100 and I'll play 62."

Everyone laughed.

Now? Not so much.

Ramirez missed Wednesday and Thursday for personal reasons. He is expected to be back Friday to attempt to improve upon an .059 batting average (1-for-17, one RBI, .118 OPS).

Damon has been even worse -- 1-for-19 (.053) with zero runs scored, zero RBI, seven strikeouts, one steal and a .153 OPS.

Damon is owned in almost 42 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com, and Ramirez a surprisingly high 94.3. I was astounded how early Ramirez was drafted in two of the leagues in which I participate, and he's considered a starting option by many owners.

I would consider Ramirez, at best, a fifth outfielder at age 38. He's best suited to be a part-time player (a combined 617 at-bats in 2009 and 2010).

Damon, 37, is a fifth or sixth outfielder who no longer steals many bases (a combined 23 in 2009 and '10), which severely damages his value.

If you are in a deep league, there is no need to release either player. If you are in a 10-team league, I couldn't argue against dropping Damon and/or Ramirez.

Yes, it's early. But Pujols is an all-timer.

Damon and Ramirez are old-timers.