Well, there you have it.  Just like that,Joe Torre is no longer the manager of the New York Yankees.  And give the Yankees credit.  They certainly did it the right way.

When you make $7.5 million and your boss says he'll pay you $5 million plus incentives, it screams of "we'll make you an offer, but we'd really like you to go."  And Joe Torre is nobody's fool.  He politely (I assume) turned them down, thanked them for the opportunity and left the jurisdiction. At that point the Yankee brain trust slapped each other a high five and said "let's move forward!" 

And now some other sucker, maybe Evansville native Don Mattingly, a native of Evansville who is from Evansville.  I call him that in honor of the Evansville, IN Press newspaper's box they ran when he was a player entitled "How Don's doin.'"  It reminded readers that Don was an Evansville native.  If he wasn't, why would he have a damn box in the paper?  There's something to be said for the IQ of dirt farmers.

Anyway, either Donny Baseball or Joe Girardi and even The Genius may get a crack at driving the Porsche that is the Yankees.  The big question is, what's Torre's next move?

It doesn't look like any more managers are going to get canned this year, so Torre's options include:

• Change jobs with The Genius in St. Louis (been there, done that, got the t-shirt) 

• Accept employment in Kansas City or Pittsburgh (I think root canal is a better option)

• Lie in wait for the first casualty of the 2008 season (can you say Ron Washington?) and ride into town and fix it

One other option Torre has is broadcasting.  He's done a few years of TV and would be much better on ESPN than Johnnie B. Baker.  And since Baker has accepted employment in Cincinnati, ESPN and Torre are a natural fit and there's room for him (and it's not like they're going to hire Jim Tracy.)  Besides, Bristol and the main ESPN campus aren't that far from New York City where Torre currently resides.

Before you start handicapping Torre's replacement, there are some things you should consider.  First, I think the odds of The Genius taking over the Yankees is about as likely as Rosie O'Donnell fitting into a size 8 dress.  He's way too much of a control freak and certainly could never live with the head games of the Yankees organization.  He may not even be willing to put up with the ongoing mind games of the Cardinal organization, which pales in comparison. 

Girardi is a popular fan pick, but he too comes with baggage.  Fans like how he stood up to Florida Marlins owner Jeffery Laurie.  The problem with that is while it makes you popular with fans, it makes it hard for you to find gainful employment later on.  I also think Girardi would be a much better fit with a young team like the Royals or Pirates rather than a veteran squad like the Yankees.

Mattingly?  I wouldn't hire him to manage a restaurant (especially since the one he owned in his hometown went belly up.) 

Taking over the Yankees has several concerns.  Is A-Rod coming back?  Are you going to dump some veterans?  Who is running the team?  If it's Hank Steinbrenner, what kind of boss is he?  How much power will Brain Cashman have as GM if the ownership shifts to a new regime?  And, will George still have some input even if he isn't running the day to day operations?

I'm sure there are people who would kill to take the job under any circumstances.  And wouldn't it be ironic if somehow the Yankees got permission to talk to Lou Piniella to come in and save the team and work until the new Yankee stadium is ready in about two years.

If it were me, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole just because the questions loom larger than the answers.