Randy Arozarena Issues One Last Statement About Cal Raleigh’s Handshake Snub

Randy Arozarena would like to put the handshake snub from Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh behind him.

Five days before Seattle opens the 2026 season with a matchup against the Guardians, Arozarena has issued a statement about the viral moment from the World Baseball Classic, when Raleigh refused to shake his hand before an at-bat.

"I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction,” Arozarena wrote in a Saturday statement issued by the Mariners. “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."

In the first inning of Team USA’s 5–3 victory over Mexico on March 9, Arozarena strolled up to the plate and offered a handshake to Raleigh, who has been his teammate in Seattle since a midseason trade between the Mariners and Rays in 2024.

But Raleigh refused to shake the Team Mexico player's hand. And after the game, Arozarena had some strong words for him.

"I'd like to tell him in four languages, that's what I'd like," Arozarena said in Spanish. "First I'll tell him in Spanish, look. All he has to do is thank God he has such wonderful parents, yeah? That his parents are very well-mannered. I got to see them two days ago at the hotel, and they went to say hi, they gave me a hug. Said they were very proud of me and happy to see me again.

"The other thing I want to say to him, I'll tell it to him Cuban-style. What he needs to do is go f--- himself. Mexican-style: he can go f--- himself. And in English, I'm gonna say it to him in English. That 'good to see you' he gave me? He can shove it up his a--."

Cal Raleigh refuses to shake hands with his Mariners teammate Randy Arozarena pic.twitter.com/YpTxhHmH9P
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 10, 2026

Raleigh downplayed the event, saying he was simply trying to stay “focused and locked in,” and assured Mariners fans there is no bad blood between Seattle’s star catcher and outfielder.

“There's no beef. I love Randy,” Raleigh said. “Like I said, when we're back in Seattle, he's my brother. He's family."

A few days later, another Mariners teammate—first baseman Josh Naylor—also tried to dap up Raleigh at the plate during Team USA’s WBC game against Canada. Raleigh again refused, and after the game Naylor explained to reporters that it was a joke between him and the catcher.

“We were all just joking. Trying to really make light of the situation,” Naylor said. “I texted him before that I was going to do it. He said, ‘Please don’t.’”

Raleigh, Arozarena and Naylor will open up the 2026 season Thursday with a matchup against the Guardians at T-Mobile Park.

Seattle is coming off one of the most successful seasons in franchise history in 2025, when it went 90–72 and finished one game short of making the World Series for the first time. This year, the Mariners enter the 2026 campaign with World Series expectations—and apparently no beef between two of their star players.

More MLB from Sports Illustrated