MLB

Jeff Banister and Joe Maddon entered 2015 with completely different resumes. One was already considered arguably the best manager in baseball. The other, even the most diehard fans had to look up his name to see who he was.

By the end of the season, both men came away looking like the best managers in baseball.    

After winning Manager of the Year two times with the Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Maddon brought his magic to the Chicago Cubs and was named 2015 National League Manager of the Year. 

MLB Network provided the news:

Russell Branyan, a former Major League Baseball player who suited up for 10 teams over the course of 14 seasons, was arrested Monday evening for allegedly breaking into the home of his ex-wife, Jill Branyan, on Oct. 30.  

According to the warrant from Davidson County in Nashville, Tennessee, Branyan was arrested after the following events allegedly transpired: 

After leading the Texas Rangers to the American League West title and a 21-win improvement from 2014, Jeff Banister was named the 2015 American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. 

The Chicago Cubs' Joe Maddon won the National League award.

The San Francisco Giants locked up Brandon Crawford for the long term Tuesday, announcing they signed the 28-year-old shortstop to a six-year deal. According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the contract is worth $75 million and includes a full no-trade clause. 

Jose Fernandez has proven to be one of the best young pitchers in baseball, but the Miami Marlins may entertain trade offers for him this offseason.  

Continue for updates.

Three-time World Series champion and Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz is  planning to retire from baseball after the 2016 season.

Ortiz confirmed his decision on Wednesday in a video for The Players' Tribune:

There is no shortage of talent in the Major League Baseball free-agent pool, and a World Series champion is starting to make some waves in the market.

Ben Zobrist came to the Kansas City Royals in a midseason trade with the Oakland Athletics and was rumored at one point to have both teams from The Big Apple interested him.

There has been no shortage of parity around Major League Baseball in recent years, and that was never more true than this past season.

The Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs all reached the playoffs after missing out the previous season.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants went in the other direction, as they all missed the postseason after reaching October in 2014.

The MLB offseason continues to roll along at a rapid pace.

Three players accepted qualifying offers for the first time ever, a huge trade between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers went down and that's not even half of the action.

Let's take a look at the latest news around the rumor mill as we hit mid-November. 

Mets Interested in Ben Zobrist

If you can't beat them, steal them, I suppose.