Montes and Arozarena's budding bromance has been brewing for a year

This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer’s Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BOSTON -- Throughout a thrilling MLB debut earlier this week, there was one constant for Lazaro Montes.

He was basically attached at Randy Arozarena’s hip.

And their hilarious interactions in the visiting dugout at Fenway Park went borderline viral among social media circles across baseball.

First, there was the Jimi Hendrix-caliber strumming of Seattle’s celebratory home run trident after Montes crushed his first career homer. The rookie borrowed the gesture that Arozarena has made his trademark but took it to another level.

“We were practicing. He showed me, so I learned from him,” Montes said. “I saw he did it first in the first inning, before me. So I said, 'OK, I like that. Let me try and do it.'”

Then, there was the comical rock-paper-scissors confab during a lengthy injury delay involving the home-plate umpire, which went down to the wire in a best-two-of-three. Montes wound up winning by going rock over scissors in the rubber round.

Arozarena then joked that he let the rookie win: “It was his night.”

This all proved to be good proximity for Montes, as Arozarena -- the Mariners’ lone All-Star in 2026 -- put together his most dominant series of the season, going 6-for-15 with two homers, one double, eight RBIs and four runs scored.

He also unleashed an 86 mph outfield assist to the plate that, coupled with an athletic tag from backup catcher Jhonny Pereda, kept a run off the board to back Bryce Miller in Wednesday’s 8-3 win in the finale. Later on in that one, he made a remarkable diving catch that knocked the wind out of him.

Montes, meanwhile, wasn’t too shabby, either -- becoming the Mariners' first player since Ichiro on Opening Day in 2001 with multiple hits in his debut, but the first to do so with one of those being a homer. He also drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch in his first plate appearance that Bryan Woo said was the “most impressive” moment for the rookie, given the discipline to lay off a few close pitches despite his light-tower power.

Basically, it was a thorough night at the plate for the newcomer in Tuesday’s win and a full three days for the veteran.

But on a more wholesome level, they picked up right where they left off in Spring Training, where Montes was a non-roster invite.

“I'm super happy for him,” Arozarena said through team interpreter Kate Leahy. “Obviously, he's a person and a player that makes me really happy around the field, and I enjoy being his teammate. And to see him hit his first home run, get his first hit, made me really happy. And I know it was a really special moment for his family because he accomplished his dream.”​

This friendship actually dates back to last offseason, when Montes met Arozarena during an offseason workout in Miami through a mutual acquaintance.

It was a big deal for the youngster, who’d just turned 21 and who looked up to Arozarena from afar dating back to his time with the Rays. There’s an extra layer of admiration among players who grew up in Cuba, as both did, for all it takes to reach professional baseball in the U.S.

“He really impressed me,” Arozarena recounted from their first interactions.

Over his two years in Seattle, Arozarena doesn’t necessarily keep to himself within the Mariners’ clubhouse. Teammates say that he’s sneakily one of the more funny players on the team, and they appreciate that he posts every day.

Yet, his interactions with Montes these past few days have stood out -- for the soon-to-be-free-agent bringing the young kid under his wing.

Well, not quite literally. After all, Montes’ 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame would make that near impossible.

But for all that Arozarena has accomplished over his first six seasons, he hasn’t really played the mentor role -- until now.

“He brings great energy, and he's a lot younger than me, so he can bring even more than I can,” Arozarena said. “But he's been a great presence to have on the team. I got to know him at Spring Training and a little bit before the season, and just the type of energy and the attitude that he brings is something that can help the team a lot.

“He can put a smile on any player's face, too, and has the ability to change the game and help the team win, which is what we need.”