"Trevor Hoffman has enjoyed his two years with the Brewers but he knows he won't be back in Milwaukee in 2011.

"That's not going to happen," said baseball's all-time saves leader. "Why would they pay $7 million for me to pitch in this role?"

Hoffman, 42, referred to what was a $7 million option on his contract for 2011. That option increased to $7.5 million with a $750,000 buyout recently when he reached 35 games finished for the season.

Having the Brewers decline that option is fine with Hoffman, because he wouldn't want to come back in a lesser role after being replaced as closer by rookie John Axford.

"No disrespect," Hoffman said Friday before the Brewers took on the Cincinnati Reds. "I had a great time and they were very good to me.

" 'Ax' is their future. That's just the way it is. It's nothing bad, no ill feelings or anything. They have their future and it's time for me to move on if I'm going to continue doing this at a certain capacity. I'm not going to just come back to throw.

"If I'm going to continue playing, I don't want to continue in this capacity. I'd like to see what's out there, if there's options to close somewhere. I know it wasn't a great year, but it's five months out of a decent run."

Hoffman, who will be 43 on Oct. 13, isn't sure any club would give him the opportunity to close games after he pitched his way out of that role this year by blowing five of his first 10 save opportunities. Hoffman eventually got his game together and was given the chance to reach 600 saves, which he achieved Sept. 7.

Now sitting on 601 saves, Hoffman hopes other teams have noticed that he has posted a 2.67 earned run average over his last 32 appearances. Overall, he is 2-7 with a 5.89 ERA in 50 games with 10 saves."