ORLANDO — The idea of bringing together all of the general managers and managers for the 20 countries participating in the upcoming World Baseball Classic for a media availability at the MLB Winter Meetings was logical, if not completely worthwhile.
But deciding to at least release the preliminary rosters for the teams, prior to Tuesday afternoon’s scrum made for some awkward moments for team representatives, who were somewhat reluctant to discuss which players they have personally asked to represent their native countries and who has committed to playing.
The Mariners could have up to a dozen players from their organization leave spring training for the WBC, including Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena, Andrés Muñoz, Josh Naylor, Matt Brash, Eduard Bazardo, Jurrangelo Cijntje and Michael Arroyo.
During the All-Star break, Mark DeRosa, the manager of Team USA, announced that Cal Raleigh had committed to playing in the World Baseball Classic. He was one of the first public commitments.
“My son plays 16U travel ball. And I know Cal’s dad because his younger brother plays in the same academy as my son,” DeRosa said. “So I kind of hinted to his dad that this was going to come. And so I knew when I called what I was going to get. His dad was like, ‘this will be a highlight of the year for him.’ But I don’t think his dad knew he was going to go on to hit 65 home runs. It was his year — the entire season. There are certain guys that just push themselves onto the roster. I would’ve been a fool not to have him. I called him super early.”
Raleigh will be joined by Will Smith of the Dodgers. He was on the U.S. roster in 2023 with J.T. Realmuto.
“I loved being around him,” DeRosa said. “I loved the way he went about it, and then obviously, to go on and win the World Series, we couldn’t ask for two better catchers back there.”
How will they divvy up the playing time?
“You want to get them off their feet, because it’s early in March and you want to kind of honor the fact that they got to go back to their parent club and play 162,” he said. ” Like I tell all the guys, we’ll potpourri it and do our best in pool play. But when that plane leaves to Miami, the guys who are swinging the bats and the guys who are hot have to play.”
It’s expected Rodriguez will play for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. He was the starting center fielder for the team in 2023.
“He’s shown interest in and wants to be there,” said Nelson Cruz, the team’s general manager. “He’s now leader. It will be his second time, and even at the young age of 25. He’s interested. And we would love to him.”
Rodriguez played for the Dominican Republic in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, helping his team win a bronze medal. He takes great pride in representing his country in these events.
“We are always proud to put on the uniform with the flage on the side and represent our country,” Cruz said. “He always want to be there. It shows and speak loud about how bad he wants to be there.”
Team Canada’s general manager Greg Hamilton and manager Ernie Whitt confirmed that Naylor and Brash are expected to be on their roster.
Naylor didn’t participate in the 2023 WBC because of an ankle injury, but did play for the team in 2017. He will join his brother, Bo, on the team.
Brash served as Canada’s closer in the WBC. Now a year removed from Tommy John surgery, he’s told Hamilton and Whitt he’s going to be ready to go again.
“We’re really good with him,” Hamilton said. “I keep saying really good, really good. You can read between the lines. We’re not really supposed to say that we’re done, but everything’s positive there. He wants to play and everything checks out.”
Whitt also mention that they are trying to push for James Paxton, who recently retired, to come out and pitch for Team Canada.
“That could be fun,” Whitt said. “We don’t need him for 162 games, just a couple of short ones.”
Rodrigo Lopez, the general manager for Mexico, confirmed that Arozarena will return for another WBC.
The Mariners’ left fielder has thrived in international competition. In six games in the 2023 WBC, he posted a .450/.607/.900 slash line with six doubles, a homer and nine RBI in six games.
“I’ve been talking to Randy since spring training about it,” Lopez said. “He’s so excited to be a part of Team Mexico again. The experience he had in the WBC, he wanted to be back.”
Lopez believes that Muñoz will be on the roster as the team’s closer. Despite being on the roster in 2023, the Mariners closer was still recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
“This year, he’s on the roster and hopefully everything goes well and sooner than later, the team confirms it,” he said. “I’ve talked to him and he wants to participate. I think it means a lot to him.”
Mexico was eliminated by Japan in the WBC semifinals in 2023 on a walkoff double by Munetaka Murakami.
“Could you imagine us having him to pitch in that last inning against Japan?” Lopez said. ‘It would be a different story. Our bullpen is very solid compared to the last time and he’s the big key to it.”
Mariners assistant coach Bobby Magallanes will return Mexico’s coaching staff as the team’s hitting coach.
Omar Lopez, the manager for Venezuela, said they are pushing to have Bazardo as part of the team’s bullpen.
“Everyone is considered and Bazardo is one of them,” said Omar Lopez, who has been the Astros coaching staff since 2020. “He’s a strike thrower. Especially against us, he was unbelievable. Every time against us, Dan Wilson brought him in and just stopped the bleeding and stopped the damage with his sinker. He’s , used to stop the bleeding, to stop the damage with his sinker and get out of trouble.”
Lopez loves Bazardo’s fearless mentality and believes it will be beneficial in the charged up atmosphere of the WBC finals in Miami.
“He’s very coldblooded guy,” Omar Lopez said. “He doesn’t panic. He always goes up there and knows what he’s doing. That’s what I want, because Miami is going to be crazy. I need guys that have that cold blood and don’t get nervous in those situations because most players they’ve never been through the experience of WBC in Miami. They’re going to feel the turf shaking. They’re going to feel in the dugout when it’s shaking with the whole crowd and all the noise.”
Cijntje, the Mariners’ first-round pick in 2024, is a native of Curacao and eligible to pitch for the Netherlands.
“He wants to play,” said Netherlands delegation head Peter Kwakernaak. “But of course, the Mariners need to clear him. There’s a process between MLB, the Mariners and the Players Association. But he’s shown his interest and we would love to have him. It would be insanely great. He’s on the top of our wish list.”
Andruw Jones, who was named the manager of Netherlands team, has called Cijntje on multiple occasions to talk to him about playing.
“He’s one of these guys that we say see a big future in, and it would be great if in the Classic this could be the steppingstone for him to something,” Kwakernaak said. “There’s always chance and risks that are associated, but we will take super good care of him. We take everything super serious. We will obey any rule, but we hope he just hope he can be there.”