Francisco Rodriguez open to being setup man if traded to “good teams like the Yankees or Rays”

One day after saying he needed to get his head out of his butt Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he’d be willing to serve as a setup man if traded to “good teams like the Yankees or the Rays.”

Here’s more from Rodriguez, who’s 20-for-23 converting saves with a 3.25 ERA:

If I am going to be traded, obviously I want the opportunity to close out games, but if it’s going to be good teams like the Yankees or the Rays, and it’s going to be for two months, I can go out there and help them out. I mean I would definitely love to stay here, but I have to be open to every possibility out there right now.

Complicating matters is that Rodriguez has a $17 million option for 2012 that vests with 55 games finished and he already has 28. Moving into a setup role would end that possibility and Rodriguez indicated previously he’d be willing to waive the 2012 option if the team trading for him wanted to work out a new multi-year deal.

It’s tough to see the Rays making a strong run at Rodriguez when he’s paid about as much in a month than their whole bullpen earns in a season and they’re also not short on young arms in the minors, but with Rafael Soriano and Joba Chamberlain hurt he’d seemingly be an intriguing option setting up Mariano Rivera for the Yankees.