Out of respect for their captain, the Yankees have been patient with Don Mattingly. The first baseman wanted time to ponder his future with the club, or even consider retirement, and has had almost six weeks to do so since the season ended.

Now the Yankees need an answer, and general manager Bob Watson said Mattingly is expected to give him one today. Watson, who was at Yankee Stadium yesterday to help introduce the coaching staff, was besieged by questions concerning the team's future at first base. The soft-spoken GM finally acknowledged that Mattingly is expected to phone him today at the club's minor-league facility in Tampa and make clear his intentions.

"He'll let me know what his plans are," Watson said. "If he's going to play or not. We'll probably get into contract talks after that."

Should Mattingly decide to put off his retirement, one club official indicated the Yankees are prepared to offer him a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. Mattingly earned $4.42 million last season in the final year of the five-year contract extension he signed April 9, 1990.

The reduction, although substantial, is more than fair for the 34-year-old first baseman. Mattingly hit .288 with seven home runs and 49 RBI during the regular season, starting 117 of his 128 games at first base. He was bothered by back and hamstring problems and also suffered from a viral infection of his right eye.

Despite that subpar performance, Mattingly was magnificent during the first playoff appearance of his career. He batted .417, second only to Bernie Williams' .429, and had four doubles, a home run and six RBI during the five-game Division Series loss to the Mariners.

That is how the fans remember Mattingly, and owner George Steinbrenner would surely take another major public relations hit if he turned his back on the captain. Steinbrenner shouldered the blame when manager Buck Showalter, a huge fan favorite, left the club and joined the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Still smarting from that debacle, Steinbrenner spoke with Jim Krivacs, Mattingly's agent, and expressed a desire to have his client back with the Yankees. That well-publicized overture may have won Steinbrenner some sorely needed points with the fans, but the organization might be happier if Mattingly decided to retire.

That would enable Watson to more aggressively pursue free agent Fred McGriff or attempt to trade for the Mariners' Tino Martinez or the Athletics' Mark McGwire, players the GM already has begun to chase. But that can't happen until Mattingly's situation has been sorted out.

If Mattingly says he wants to play next season, Watson will meet with the first baseman next week - at a site somewhere between Tampa and Evansville, Ind. - and discuss a new contract. Watson seems inclined to push for a quick negotiation with Mattingly. There is a third possibility, that Mattingly could sign with another club, but negotiations with the Yankees would have to collapse first.

"I played this game," Watson said. "I'm probably not going to the Hall of Fame like Mattingly probably is, but I know. He's due this respect. He deserves to sit face-to-face and talk about his future and the club's future. If he decides not to come back, we'll give him his accolades . . . He'll always be a Yankee."

Mattingly and Krivacs could not be reached yesterday. Ray Schulte, Mattingly's spokesman, said Krivacs is supposed to talk with Steinbrenner today, but he had little knowledge of a planned telephone call between Watson and Mattingly.

"It might happen," Schulte said. "One thing Donnie does realize is the Yankees' need to settle their priorities for the coming season."

And now the club will find out if Mattingly should be included in that list. By David Lennon. STAFF WRITER; Jon Heyman contributed to this story

Copyright 1995, Newsday Inc.