"You're Francisco Rodriguez, and you just hired Scott Boras as your new agent. No one knows the exact reason for your switch, but it wasn't to become a setup man, that's for sure.

And now, after the Mets traded you to the Brewers late Tuesday night, traded you along with approximately $5 million for two players to be named?

Uh, Frankie, hate to break it to you.

You're a setup man. Or, at best, an alternate closer.

The Brewers' John Axford is 23-for-24 in save opportunities with a 1.99 ERA since blowing a save on Opening Day. Brewers GM Doug Melvin did not totally commit to Axford remaining the closer in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. But what are the Brewers going to do, demote Axford for a trade acquisition with a 6.38 ERA since May 27, even with his current scoreless streak of 5 2/3 innings?

Not anytime soon.

For once, Boras looks like he was out-maneuvered, even though he will benefit financially if K-Rod does not finish 21 more games and vest his $17.5 million option, becoming a free agent instead.

K-Rod had a limited no-trade clause, enabling him to block trades to 10 teams. The Brewers were not one of those teams. The Mets, by going off the list, effectively prevented Boras from choosing Rodriguez's next club.

Smart move, considering that Boras told Newsday's Ken Davidoff on Monday, "Francisco Rodriguez is a historic closer. He's not going anywhere to be a setup man.""