This World Series loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers has broken a lot of hearts of the Toronto Blue Jays players, staff, and fans. This will take a lot of time to get over for the fans and players. But time doesn’t stop for anyone, and people have to move on. And that is exactly what one former Yankees legend and Blue Jays coach has done.

In a recent post by MLB insider Jon Heyman, he revealed that Don Mattingly is stepping away from the Blue Jays. Heyman wrote, “Don Mattingly is stepping away from the Jays on great terms and leaving them in excellent position. But this is not a retirement announcement, and he’s open to new opportunities.”

Don Mattingly’s journey in baseball has stretched across more than 36 seasons as a player, coach, and manager. At 64, he finally reached his first World Series this year as the Toronto Blue Jays’ bench coach. Hired in 2022 to mentor first-time manager John Schneider, he helped guide Toronto to an AL East title and a World Series Game 7 appearance. But that title slipped away when the Dodgers rallied in the ninth and won in the 11th, leaving Mattingly and the Blue Jays just two outs short of history.

When the final out was recorded, Mattingly sat quietly in the dugout as the Dodgers celebrated, a moment captured by cameras that showed the weight of 36 seasons without a ring.

Bo Bichette, who hit a crucial three-run homer earlier in the game, went over and hugged him before they walked to the clubhouse together. That image summed up what the loss meant to a man who had come so close before as the Dodgers’ manager from 2011 to 2015. According to the New York Post, Mattingly has now decided to step away from the Blue Jays but is not retiring, with managerial openings in San Diego and Colorado still available.

The Blue Jays may still be nursing their wounds, but Don Mattingly already moved on. Jon Heyman’s report confirmed what many suspected: Mattingly’s departure isn’t farewell, just a pause. Baseball waits for no one, and Mattingly clearly refuses to sit in the dugout of nostalgia.

Can Don Mattingly still return to the Yankees for a reunion?

Baseball has a funny way of circling back to old stories that never quite ended. Don Mattingly spent three years with the Toronto Blue Jays chasing what eluded him in pinstripes, a championship. Now, with his Blue Jays chapter closing, the whispers have started again. Could the Yankees legend finally come home, or has that reunion ship sailed faster than a Bronx fastball?

The chances of Don Mattingly returning to the New York Yankees are slim, given the club’s commitment to Aaron Boone, whose contract now runs through the 2027 season. Mattingly has stepped away from his bench-coach role with the Toronto Blue Jays after three years, signalling a preference toward a full managing job rather than a position coach.

If Mattingly did return to the Yankees, it would likely be in a senior leadership role contingent on a managerial vacancy. His prior time with New York — both as a player for 14 seasons and later in a coaching capacity gives him credibility and cultural fit inside the organization. Given his career highs, including nine Gold Gloves and an AL MVP in 1985, he could impact clubhouse leadership and hitting development.

Mattingly’s story with the Yankees feels paused, not finished, waiting for the right cue. Boone holds the script for now, but baseball loves rewriting its own familiar endings. If fate ever calls, Donnie Baseball might still find his seat back in the Bronx.