Randy Arozarena had vulgar words for Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after he was left hanging at the World Baseball Classic.
Arozarena, a two-time All-Star outfielder, seemingly lashed out at Raleigh after the Team USA catcher did not accept a handshake before an at-bat in the United States’ 5-3 victory over Mexico on Monday.
Speaking to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish, Arozarena said Raleigh “has to thank God that he has nice parents, well educated,” and said he recently hugged them during a friendly greeting at the team hotel.
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Arozarena then used profane Cuban and Mexican slang to insult Raleigh, saying the All-Star should “f— off” and “go to hell.”
Arozarena then pivoted to English, saying Raleigh could shove his “good to see you” in his rear. Arozarena was born in Cuba but defected to Mexico to pursue an MLB career.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Arozarena’s remarks were serious or made in jest. Raleigh had not commented on the exchange as of Tuesday afternoon.
Arozarena had reached down to greet Raleigh in his catcher’s squat at home plate, and Raleigh declined to offer his hand back. Raleigh appeared to say something to Arozarena during the exchange at the plate that could have set off the Mexican star.
Arozarena appeared to be visibly upset at Raleigh, though it wasn’t totally clear if he was just having fun at his teammate’s expense. The pair have been teammates since Arozarena was traded from Tampa Bay to Seattle during the 2024 season.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson, who was asked about the exchange later Tuesday, said he hoped to speak soon with Arozarena and Raleigh.
“These guys are incredible athletes because of their competitiveness, and that’s where they’re at, and that’s why they’ve gotten to the level that they’ve gotten,” Wilson told reporters, according to The Seattle Times. “But I also know that our team loves each other deeply, and that’s one of the key ingredients we have in that clubhouse, is how much they love each other. So I don’t anticipate this being any bit of an issue.”
Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer and Roman Anthony added a three-run drive in a big third inning to lead the United States to the win. The U.S. improved to 3-0 and will meet Italy (2-0) on Tuesday night, seeking to secure a spot in the quarterfinals in Houston this weekend.
Jarren Duran homered twice for Mexico (2-1), which will face Italy on Wednesday night in the last game of Group B play.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
