Arozarena apologizes to Raleigh for comments during WBC

Randy Arozarena is hoping to put a contentious moment with Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh behind him as Opening Day approaches.

With both players back in camp following the World Baseball Classic, Arozarena issued an apology Saturday for his comments after Raleigh snubbed him at the plate while they competed on opposing teams earlier in March.

"I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don't want it to be a distraction," Arozarena said in a statement. "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."

Arozarena took exception to Raleigh's actions and heavily criticized him after Mexico's pool game with the United States, saying in Spanish that the catcher can "f--k off" and "go to hell."

However, Raleigh said during the tournament that he wasn't bothered by the comments and added that he didn't believe there was any bad blood.

"I love Randy. I do," Raleigh said March 10. "I hate that this is a thing. There's no beef. When we get back to Seattle, he's my brother. We're family. I already reached out to him, so it's just a competitive environment, and I know he would want the same for me when we're on the team and playoff baseball. I just have a responsibility for my teammates here right now, and my country, and emotions are running high."

Arozarena has been teammates with Raleigh since Seattle acquired the outfielder at the 2024 trade deadline, and both served as key pieces in the team's postseason run last year. Arozarena is a free agent at the end of this season.