Let’s think about it. How would you play it?

If Joe Torre has to go, what better way to do it than give the world the illusion — albeit a transparent illusion — that he left on his own terms. The Yankees owed him that much.

When the Tampa-based brain trust of the New York Yankees met earlier this week and low-balled their now former manager with a one-year contract, they never expected him to take it. And, as expected, Torre said ‘no’. Win-win. The Yankees don’t look so bad because there was some effort to keep Torre, and Torre gets to say he left on his own terms.

Yes, of course the papers are playing up the line that the ex-skipper used, saying he was “insulted” by the offer. But this way Torre gets a choice, gets to tell the world he demands a level of respect and can further embrace the role of ‘victim’ to the management.

He will reach the level of martyr by the time all the media members who spent years enjoying his warm heart are done paying homage.

The Yankee management could have slammed the door in Torre’s face down in Tampa. Instead, they let Torre walk out of that door with a good bit of his dignity intact. For those who admire and respect Torre in this town (including free agent Yankee vets who look at their old skipper as a father) this was the best way for it to play out.

Now, on to hiring Joe Girardi or Don Mattingly.