Cal Raleigh Shuts Down Randy Arozarena Drama: 'There's No Beef, We're Family'
Look, sometimes the WBC brings out the competitive fire in ways that look messy from the outside — but Cal Raleigh wants everyone to know this whole thing with his Mariners teammate Randy Arozarena is way overblown. After declining to dap up Arozarena before an at-bat during Team USA's 5-3 win over Mexico on Monday night, Raleigh is making it crystal clear: there's no actual tension here.
What Actually Happened
So here's the deal — Arozarena reached toward Raleigh for a pre-at-bat handshake, and Raleigh didn't reciprocate. Cue the reaction. According to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert, Arozarena went off in Spanish with some pretty colorful language, telling Raleigh to essentially buzz off and making some other choice comments. It wasn't exactly subtle.
Interestingly, this echoes the 2023 WBC when Team USA catcher Will Smith didn't acknowledge Arozarena before an at-bat either. And here's the kicker — Arozarena was born in Cuba, defected to Mexico, and became a Mexican citizen in 2022, so he's got his own international loyalty at stake here.
Raleigh's Take: Professional, Direct, Done
"I love Randy. I do," Raleigh said after the game. "I hate that this is a thing. There's no beef. When we get back to Seattle, he's my brother. We're family."
Here's what went down behind the scenes: Team USA manager Mark DeRosa had actually talked to Raleigh before the game about not putting himself in a position to offend his American teammates by acknowledging Arozarena's gestures. It was a strategic call, not a personal slight. Raleigh has already reached out to his teammate, and by Tuesday he was confident things are smoothed over. "We're good friends and we'll continue to be good friends and I think we're just enjoying competing against each other right now," he said.
The real question? Nobody's totally sure if Arozarena was genuinely heated or just talking trash in the heat of competition. Either way, the Mariners' leader — the guy who set a catcher home run record with 60 last year — isn't letting this become a thing when they're back in Seattle. These two have been teammates since Arozarena was traded from Tampa Bay during the 2024 season, and Raleigh's making sure that foundation holds.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.