Melvin Mora was been a reliable fantasy performer at third base for most of the past decade. He averaged better than
20 homers during a seven-season span.

That made him popular with fantasy general managers, given the overall offensive instability at that position.

But now Mora, 38, is heading into the twilight of his career. He departed the Orioles as a free agent and landed in
Colorado as a super utility player. He could spell third baseman Ian Stewart against left-handed starters, start some games at second base and pinch hit.

In 2008, Mora hit .285 with 23 homers and 104 RBI. Last year he slipped to .260 with just eight homers and 48 RBI in 450 at bats. He signed with Colorado -- and accepted a bench role -- to have a shot at postseason play.'

Here are some more declining players to be wary of:

Chipper Jones, 3B, Braves: He turns 38 in April, so it is unrealistic to expect his past greatness. His homer total declined from 29 to 22 and 18 the last three seasons. His RBI total dropped from 102 to 75 and 71. After winning the batting title with a .364 mark, he lost 100 points last season.

"Bottom line, things just didn’t happen for me last year, Jones told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "I was close to busting loose a couple of times and just could never build up any momentum. It's one of the few times in my career that it happened, so I've got to consider it a fluke."

Magglio Ordonez, OF, Tigers: True, he hit .310 last season. He appears to be in very good spirits heading toward spring training. But at age 36, his days as an elite run producer and high draft pick appear to be over. Back in '08, he hit 54 doubles and 28 homers. He drove in a career-high 139 runs.

But his doubles total slipped to 32 and 24 the next two seasons. His homer total slipped to 21 and 9. He drove in just 50 runs in 465 at bats. The good news: In his final 49 games, Ordonez hit .405. The bad news: True, he hit just four home runs drove in just 18 runs in those 163 at-bats.

David Ortiz, DH, Red Sox: During his peak years in Boston, "Big Papi"crushed 142 homers in a three-year span. But in
his last two years, he hit 51. Worse, his batting average slipped from .332 to .264 and .238 during that span. At the age of 34, can he reverse the trend?

That was the focus of his off-season. "He's feeling good about himself," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein told the Berkshire Eagle. "He's worked hard."

Lance Berkman, OF, Astros: Back in 2006, he hit 46 homers and drove in 136 runs. But now Berkman, 34, is coming off a pedestrian, injury-marred season (25 homers, 80 RBI in 460 at bats). His .509 slugging percentage was the lowest since his rookie season. Worst yet, pitchers consistently challenge him with fastballs for the first time in his career. 

Aaron Harang, SP, Reds: After consecutive 16-victory seasons made him popular among fantasy GMs, back-to-back 6-win seasons knocked him off most draft lists. His 1.41 WHIP last year was his worst since 2004. His stuff showed signs of fatigue. Will he need to change teams to regain his old form? For whatever reason, the Reds haven't offered him much support the past two seasons.  

Carlos Delgado, 1B, free agent: What will life hold for Delgado after hip surgery? Can he move well enough to play first base? In 2008 he was as productive as ever, with 32 homers, 38 homers and and 115 RBI. His situation will bear watching. Several teams checked him out in Puerto Rico this winter, but bidding on him has been slow.

Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston would love to see him return to Toronto. "We haven't forgotten him," Gaston told MLB.com. "I'm a big Carlos fan. So it would be nice to have him back here and to see him also perhaps go into that Hall of Fame with a Blue Jays uniform on. That would be great."

Vernon Wells, OF, Blue Jays: He peaked back in 2006, hitting 32 homers, stealing 17 bases and driving in 105 runs. During the last three years, he hit just 51 homers combined. After hitting .300 in 2008, he slipped to .260 last season. At 31, he is certainly young enough to regain his stroke.

Barry Zito, SP, Giants: He will never see 23-5 again. He went just 31-43 the last three seasons, soldiering on with lesser stuff. On the bright side, his 4.03 ERA last season was his best mark since 2006.