Raleigh responds to scrutiny over rejected handshake: 'There's no beef. I love Randy'

PEORIA, Ariz. -- If there was any drama brewing between Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena at the World Baseball Classic, last year's AL MVP runner-up took steps to defuse it on Tuesday afternoon.

"I hate that this is a thing,” Raleigh said via FaceTime with three Mariners beat reporters. “I really don't think this is a big deal, a big story. It shouldn't be a thing. I love Randy. I have all the respect for him and Team Mexico.

“I already reached out to him personally, to talk with him. And obviously, when we're back in Seattle, we're family, we're brothers, and I'll do anything for him. I'll do anything for our team to win.”

Raleigh was calling from Daikin Park in Houston, where less than 24 hours earlier Arozarena gave an interview in Spanish with Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert offering choice words (translation here, via The Athletic), after Raleigh refused to shake his hand during Team USA’s 5-3 win over Team Mexico.

To be sure, it’s unclear if Arozarena’s comments were serious or sarcastic.

“I reached out to Randy and told him, essentially, 'I'm sorry if you felt disrespected,' or whatever it may be,” Raleigh said. “But we're just playing the game. I think he would want the same if I was his teammate and we were playing somebody in a playoff game. Or he'd want that same kind of energy from me. So I think that's kind of how I see it. And I reached out and put it to bed.”

What is certain is that it was serious enough for Mariners manager Dan Wilson to address it on Tuesday morning, before Raleigh and Wilson connected.

“These guys are incredible athletes because of their competitiveness, and that's where they're at,” Wilson said. “And that's why they've gotten to the level that they've gotten. 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.”

Like most, Wilson didn’t see Arozarena’s reaction until it went viral on social media in the late hours of Monday night. But he planned to speak with each player on Tuesday morning.

“Competitiveness is competitiveness,” Wilson said. “It doesn't matter. Sometimes, it's a backyard game. Whatever. These guys are competitive. But like I said, I think the love that they have for each other will shine.”

What was Wilson's initial reaction?

“Just knowing these personalities and understanding the players and the guys involved, how much they appreciate each other,” Wilson said, “how much they respect each other, and I know that's going to win out.”

Many Mariners players in Peoria had indicated that they’d seen the clips by early Tuesday morning but preferred not to comment publicly.

“I’m not touching that,” one player said.

“Any big news coming out of camp today?” another said.

During Monday’s game, Raleigh, who was catching, did not reciprocate the handshake that Arozarena extended when stepping into the batter’s box -- though this is not uncommon.

From a rules standpoint, catchers want to avoid getting pine tar on their hands, as there are strict rules about such substances benefiting a pitcher's grip. And for competitive reasons, there is precedent for players in a high-stakes tournament like this declining such a gesture: Team Australia catcher Robbie Perkins declined to shake hands with a Czech Republic batter last Thursday, sparking viral attention.

“To me, it shouldn't be that big of a deal,” Raleigh said. “But these games do matter. I think it's important to each individual's country; the emotions are running high. They're not just exhibition games. These are super important. And I have a responsibility to my teammates and my country to be locked in and focused each game and do everything I can to win. And like I said, I'm here to win the World Baseball Classic for my country.”

However, it is not a clubhouse-wide practice for Team USA to not fraternize with opposing players, manager Mark DeRosa said in an interview with MLB Network on Tuesday morning.

“No. To be honest, when it happened, on the bench, we were like ‘Oof. OK,’” DeRosa said. “And they’re teammates! I think Cal told him pregame, or in the day leading up to, ‘I’m not hugging you. I’m not loving on you. Let’s get after it.’”

Regardless, Raleigh wants to quickly turn the page for both the Mariners and Team USA, which will try to improve to 4-0 in Pool B play on Tuesday night when it faces Team Italy (2-0) at 9 p.m. ET (6 PT) on FS1.

Mexico (2-1) will close Pool B play with a critical game against Italy on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET (4 PT) on Tubi.