In a move that certainly appears to be the next organizational step in succeeding Joe Torre as manager of the New York Yankees, Jim Baumbach of Newsday is reporting that Don Mattingly will be named Bench Coach for the 2007 season, replacing Lee Mazzilli.

Yankees beat:

The promotion brings Mattingly one important step closer to the manager's seat and solidifies him as the favorite to be Joe Torre's successor. Torre's contract expires after next season.

Mazzilli's run as Yankees bench coach ends after only one season. He was the Yankees first-base coach from 2000-03 before spending a season and a half as the Baltimore Orioles manager.

General manager Brian Cashman, who spent a second consecutive day in meetings with his professional scouts at Yankee Stadium, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Mattingly joined the Yankees coaching staff in 2004 as their hitting coach, a job he's held for three straight seasons, after spending the previous eight years with his family in Indiana.

No word yet on who will replace Mattingly as hitting-instructor or whether Mazzilli has been offered another position within the organization.