Cal Raleigh's classy Mariners move only makes Randy Arozarena snub more confusing

What's not to love about Randy Arozarena? The Mariners outfielder represented his home country of Mexico with pride at the World Baseball Classic. And in Seattle, he's leading a much-needed Mariners revival, as last season's ALCS participant is two games back on the final AL Wild Card spot. Is any of that deserving of the handshake snub Raleigh gave Arozarena back in the WBC, which fueled so much chaos? Certainly not.

If Mariners fans are tired of hearing about the Raleigh/Arozarena beef, I can assure them it's not going anywhere. Arozarena had a walk-off home run on Saturday afternoon against the Cubs (he hit a leadoff home run in the same game, mind you), saving the Mariners from themselves. Raleigh chose to instead focus on rookie Kade Anderson, who made his MLB debut on Players' Weekend. Raleigh opted against wearing his Pike Place fishmonger catcher's gear, as he didn't want to overshadow Anderson's first MLB start.

Cal Raleigh is all class for Kade Anderson's first Mariners start

Raleigh didn't want to take the attention off of Anderson, one of MLB's top pitching prospects who made his MLB debut on Saturday, by wearing his Players' Weekend Pike Place fishmonger catcher's gear. I'd argue that might be a bit extreme, as the only way Raleigh could distract from Anderson's start is if his infamous 2026 struggles were to continue. He went 1-for-3 with a walk on Saturday.

"It's Kade's first game and I don't want his first game ever, he's always going to be looking back and all he's seeing is bright orange behind the plate. I figured I would not do that for him," Raleigh said.

And if the gear is really that distracting to look at...then is it worth wearing at all? The Mariners can't afford to lose games heading into what should be a pressure-packed September. And while I applaud Raleigh for going above and beyond for a rookie, why couldn't he extend some courtesy for Arozarena in the WBC?

Has Cal Raleigh learned from his World Baseball Classic mistake?

Arozarena was upset with Raleigh during the World Baseball Classic because the latter failed to shake his hand during an at-bat between Mexico and the United States. It was an odd scene, and said more about Raleigh than Randy. The vibes were off for Team USA from the start of the tournament, and nothing was a greater testament to that than whatever tone Raleigh was trying to set here.

“The only thing he should be thankful for is having such great parents,”Arozarena told Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish. “He’s very well educated, thank God. I was lucky enough to see them a few days ago at the hotel. They came over to greet me, gave me a big hug, and were genuinely proud to see me again.”

Arozarena then went on to tell Raleigh personally to 'f*** off' and 'go to hell'.

Now, the two spoke at Mariners spring training. Arozarena issued and apology and the teammates were able to put the matter behind them — or so they say — before Opening Day. Yet, Raleigh's change in tune in Anderson's debut — that is, acknowledging how his actions could impact a new teammate — suggest some personal growth in what's been a tough season at the plate for the record-setting catcher. Well done, Cal.

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