Still, it’s hard to believe Mattingly didn’t end up back in Pinstripes last fall after seven years of managing the Marlins.

Talk about the right landing spot. Mattingly could’ve and maybe would’ve returned to his Yankees roots – except the Blue Jays worked harder to recruit him.

While there were conversations with Yankees’ officials, Mattingly said, “There was nothing (discussed) that pulled me out of (my home in) Indiana.”

While Mattingly wouldn’t specify what role the Yankees had in mind, it certainly wasn’t as a replacement for Aaron Boone. Nor was it a dugout coaching assignment, either.

The Blue Jays saw the opening and pounced.

“Toronto got me,” Mattingly said, emphasizing its proposal was “just different” than the Yankees’ position.

[www.nj.com]