M’s teammates Randy Arozarena, Cal Raleigh at center of WBC controversy

Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh are Seattle Mariners teammates during the MLB season, but they sure didn’t look like it during the World Baseball Classic matchup between Mexico and USA on Monday night.

And now we’re left to wonder if there’s a little beef between the two M’s All-Stars stemming from the international competition.

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When Arozarena came up to the plate in the first inning of Monday’s game at Houston’s Daikin Park, he extended his hand as a greeting to Raleigh, who was catching for the Americans. Raleigh did not shake his hand, and Arozarena was then seen leaning in to hear something from Raleigh. You can see video of the exchange at this link.

This wasn’t the first time this exact thing happened to Arozarena, who tried to bump fists with USA catcher Will Smith in the previous edition of the WBC back in 2023, to which Smith declined.

The general speculation online after Raleigh didn’t shake Arozarena’s hand – and to be clear this is only speculation – centered around the likelihood that Arozarena had pine tar or another sticky substance on his hand to help him grip his bat, and Raleigh didn’t want to get any on his own hand, then throw a ball back to USA pitcher Paul Skenes, who could then have a substance that is illegal for a pitcher on his hand.

But after the game, which the USA won 5-3, Arozarena didn’t say anything about pine tar. And in fact, what he said – if he was not joking – could make for some awkwardness when he and Raleigh are back together in the Mariners clubhouse following the WBC.

A video of Arozarena speaking to a reporter in Spanish after the game was posted on social media by Our Esquina, which relayed that Arozarena was “upset that his Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh left him hanging.” Per the post, Arozarena said Raleigh told him “good to see you” after not shaking his hand, after which Arozarena said some expletives and that Raleigh can “stick his ‘good to see you’ up his behind.”

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It’s hard to say just how serious, if at all, Arozarena was in his comments about Raleigh. Our Esquina’s post did say that Arozarena complimented Raleigh’s parents before the part with the expletives, so it’s very possible it was all in jest. And when Smith didn’t bump Arozarena’s fist three years ago in the same event, Arozarena’s comments were much more tame after that game. Then again, Mexico had won that contest.

Perhaps it will all be cleared up Tuesday if Raleigh talks before Team USA faces Italy at 6 p.m., when the Americans will look to finish Pool B play with a perfect 4-0 record. We may not hear from Arozarena again until Wednesday, when Mexico (2-1 in the WBC) is set to play its final game of pool play at 4 p.m., also against Italy.

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