One of the odder controversies to emerge from the 2026 World Baseball Classic appears to have come to a close.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena released a statement Saturday saying he had apologized to star catcher Cal Raleigh for their handshake controversy during the tournament, via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times:
“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction. Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates. He’s family, and we are both focused on helping the Mariners win the World Series.”
The incident in question occurred when Arozarena’s Mexico team faced Raleigh and Team USA during pool play. As Arozarena came to the plate, he reached out a hand for Raleigh to shake, but the reigning AL home run champion declined to reciprocate.
It was a seemingly harmless moment — and not even unprecedented, as Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers had the same reaction when Arozarena pulled the move during the 2023 WBC — but it soon became clear it meant something to Arozarena.
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Speaking after the game, the two-time All-Star said his teammate should “f*** off” and “go to hell.”
That might be a bit concerning if you’re a Mariners fan, though both Raleigh and Mariners manager Dan Wilson downplayed the incident in the aftermath. Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor also decided to play the joker by facetiously making the same offer to Raleigh when his Canada team faced Team USA.
With everyone now back in spring training, the matter appears settled. Both Raleigh and Arozarena are important parts of the Mariners for 2026, a season in which the club is a -105 favorite to win the AL West at BetMGM, and is tied for the third-best odds to win the World Series ast +1300.
