PEORIA, Ariz. -- Randy Arozarena returned to Mariners camp on Saturday morning ready to turn the page towards the regular season.
He also preferred not speaking further on the exchange with Cal Raleigh at the World Baseball Classic, declining interview requests at the Peoria Sports Complex and instead issuing a statement via the team.
“We didn’t get the results we wanted with Team Mexico, but I’m glad to be back in camp with my teammates. The WBC is behind us now, and I don’t want anything to take away from the Mariners. I’m focused on the season and helping this team compete for a World Series.”
He also issued the statement in Spanish.
“No obtuvimos los resultados que queríamos con México, pero me da gusto estar de regreso en el campamento con mis compañeros. El Clásico Mundial ya quedó atrás y no quiero que nada le quite atención a los Marineros. Estoy enfocado en la temporada y en ayudar a este equipo a competir por una Serie Mundial.”
Arozarena, who met with manager Dan Wilson earlier Saturday, is not expected to take subsequent questions on the situation.
Wilson, in his daily media session, also wanted to move forward, when asked specifically if it was necessary for Arozarena to address the team and/or the public.
“Our goal here is to win a World Series, and putting that behind us is a big part of that goal,” Wilson said. “And I think that's what we're looking to do. And so I think our focus now really becomes March 26 and getting started on the season. And that's how we're looking at it.”
Arozarena also declined media requests in Houston on Wednesday in his first public interactions following an interview on Monday night with Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in which he offered choice words towards Raleigh after Seattle’s catcher declined his handshake in the batter’s box on Monday night at the WBC.
The clips of their exchange -- and Arozarena’s interview that was captured on video -- spread across social media in the aftermath and have been one of the leading storylines of the sport this week.
Arozarena also posted images to his Instagram story highlighting some of the fraternization among other teams at the WBC, notably between Team Dominican Republic and Team Venezuela, as well as an exchange between him and a Team Brazil infielder while on second base during Pool Play.
The issue was serious enough to where Raleigh initiated a FaceTime with three Mariners beat reporters to address it. Raleigh was then asked about it by media in Houston, and he reiterated many of the same things he told Seattle’s beat, then preferred not to take more questions.
“I already reached out to him personally, to talk with him,” Raleigh said on Tuesday. “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.”
He also apologized.
“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.”
In a similar situation on Friday, Raleigh also declined a fist bump from teammate Josh Naylor at the WBC -- though Naylor said after Team Canada’s 5-3 loss to Team USA that his effort was good-natured.
“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.’
"But me and Cal are really good friends. He’s an awesome teammate and honestly one of my favorite teammates I think I’ve ever had in my career. He’s such a leader, too. I was really, really happy to get traded to the Mariners last year and kind of experience being in the locker room with him."
Naylor is expected to rejoin the Mariners by the end of the weekend, while Raleigh is on to Miami for the WBC semifinals, where Team USA has a high-stakes matchup with Julio Rodríguez and Team Dominican Republic.