It's Normal to Be Nervous About Seattle Mariners Players in the WBC, But I Have to Accept It

Earlier this week, Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz committed to playing for Team Mexico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. He'll likely serve as the closer for Mexico, who advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 event.

And while Munoz is the first member of the M's to commit, he likely won't be the last. Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, and Harry Ford all played the last time around, and Michael Arroyo seems like a good bet to play for Colombia. It's certainly plausible that any or all of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryan Woo get asked to serve on the pitching staff for Team USA.

It's certainly understandable if M's fans are nervous about seeing players participate, as Edwin Diaz lost a whole season to injury after playing for Puerto Rico in 2023, but it's something I've come to accept.

We discussed this further on the most recent edition of the Refuse to Lose podcast:

​Okay. ​I'm ​nervous ​about ​all ​of ​them. ​I ​remember ​when ​Drew Smyly ​ended ​up ​missing ​the ​entire ​season ​pitching ​in ​the ​World ​Baseball ​Classic ​and ​the ​Mariners ​never ​saw him. ​I ​remember ​Felix ​Hernandez... ​I ​don't ​know ​if ​he ​got ​hurt ​or ​if ​he ​just ​didn't ​look ​good ​in ​the ​World ​Baseball ​Classic ​and ​it ​carried ​over. ​So ​there's ​a ​real ​fear ​and ​a ​real ​trepidation ​that ​comes ​to ​guys ​playing ​in ​the ​WBC. ​I ​have ​that ​same ​fear, but ​I ​can not ​and ​won't ​be ​a ​hypocrite. ​If ​I'm ​going ​to ​be ​okay ​with ​it ​in ​Olympic ​basketball ​and ​I'm ​going ​to ​be ​okay ​with ​it ​in ​Olympic ​hockey, ​I ​have ​to ​be ​okay ​with ​it ​in ​the ​World ​Baseball ​Classic.

Part of what makes Olympic basketball so compelling, or Olympic hockey, is that the best players in the world play (most of the time). If baseball wants the World Baseball Classic to be on that level (it does), then you need commitments from players like Munoz and Rodriguez. It comes with real risk to major league teams, but it is good for the sport overall.

***Hernandez threw five scoreless innings for Venezuela in the 2017 event against Team USA and then ended up going on the injured list in April, missing nearly two months. Is the WBC to blame for his injury? Not necessarily, but the Seattle Times wrote an article at the time mentioning the possibility.

The World Baseball Classic begins next March and you can listen to the full podcast in the player below:

The Mariners (23-19) are back in action on Friday night against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.