Los Angeles ? Grady Little resigned as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, paving the way for Joe Torre to take the job.

The 57-year-old Little leaves with one year remaining on his contract plus a club option for 2009. Team owner Frank McCourt said on the season’s final day that Little would return next year, but recently several news outlets reported the Dodgers were speaking with Torre about their managerial job.

“I’ve got my own personal reasons,” Little said. “It was a mutual resignation.”

The 67-year-old Torre managed the New York Yankees to four World Series championships and 12 playoff appearances in as many seasons before turning down a one-year, $5 million offer for next season with an additional $3 million in incentives on Oct. 18.

Torre, who completed a three-year, $19.2 million contract this year, ranks eighth on baseball’s career list with 2,067 victories and has won a record 76 postseason games.

If Torre were to make the move to Los Angeles, Don Mattingly has been mentioned as a possible bench coach. Mattingly served in a similar capacity in New York and was interviewed to succeed Torre as Yankees manager. Instead, Joe Girardi was hired earlier Tuesday.