Cal Raleigh Addresses Randy Arozarena WBC Controversy and Apology Ahead of Mariners' Season

Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh emphasized he and teammate Randy Arozarena are on the same page heading into Opening Day following their tense moment on the field during the World Baseball Classic.

"We talked it out. Randy knows that I love him and he's a brother," Raleigh said, per the Seattle Times' Ryan Divish. "It's in the past and none of us are carrying this forward. We're in a good spot. We talked it out. We're both sorry, and we both got in a good place, and we're both happy to be here too."

During the United States' 5-3 victory over Mexico on March 9, Arozarena went to shake Raleigh's hand when he stepped into the batter's box. The American League MVP runner-up left him hanging, and the pair exchanged words.

Arozarena initially didn't take kindly to the snub. The veteran left fielder followed up Saturday to say he had apologized directly to Raleigh.

"I understand that with opening day a few days away, I don't want it to be a distraction," he said, per Divish. "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 Mariners kick the season off Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians. Raleigh and Arozarena both figure to be key pieces as Seattle tries to reach the playoffs for the second straight year. They ranked first and third, respectively, on the team in position-player WAR at Baseball Reference in 2025.

Any lingering tension between Raleigh and Arozarena would've been a problem for manager Dan Wilson, but it appears the beef has been fully quashed.