Randy Arozarena rejoined the Seattle Mariners' spring training camp in Peoria, Arizona, on March 14, issuing a statement declining further comment on his World Baseball Classic interaction with teammate Cal Raleigh. Manager Dan Wilson and both players emphasized moving past the incident to pursue World Series goals.
Randy Arozarena arrived at the Mariners' camp in Peoria on Saturday morning, ready to shift focus to the regular season ahead. In a team-released statement, he said: “We didn’t get the results we wanted with Team Mexico, but I’m glad to be back in camp with my teammates. The WBC is behind us now, and I don’t want anything to take away from the Mariners. I’m focused on the season and helping this team compete for a World Series.” He echoed the message in Spanish.
Arozarena met with manager Dan Wilson and will not address the matter further. Wilson told reporters: “Our goal here is to win a World Series, and putting that behind us is a big part of that goal... Our focus now really becomes March 26 and getting started on the season.”
The issue originated during Team USA's WBC win over Team Mexico, when Raleigh declined Arozarena's pre-at-bat handshake—a competitive moment Arozarena critiqued in a post-game interview (as detailed in prior coverage). Raleigh responded by reaching out personally, saying they are "family" and "brothers," and downplayed it as part of the game's intensity.
A similar lighthearted exchange occurred Friday when Raleigh declined a fist bump from Guardians infielder Josh Naylor (Team Canada), who called it joking among friends. Raleigh heads to Miami for Team USA's WBC semifinal against the Dominican Republic, while Naylor returns to Mariners camp soon.
