What it's like for an MLB team when its stars are at the WBC

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Boxes are starting to pile up in front of the empty lockers at the Peoria Sports Complex. There are a ton of fan letters waiting for Julio Rodríguez to respond, while an unopened team request sits in Andrés Muñoz's space. Those issues won't be addressed until the Seattle Mariners stars return from the 2026 World Baseball Classic. And it's not just their All-Star center fielder and closer (along with superstar catcher Cal Raleigh) who are missing from spring training. The Seattle organization sent a total of 18 players to the tournament, the most of any Major League Baseball team, including a quarter of its entire 40-man roster. "It's been overwhelming to the point where we've wondered if the federations are aware that there are 29 other teams to purge in the league," M's president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto joked over the weekend. "We have a very diverse squad and that shows in the tournament." With their players representing nations hoping to compete until the final days of the Cactus League, the mood has changed in Mariners camp since the full team reported last month. "It's a little different, for sure," veteran catcher Mitch Garver said. "There are definitely pieces missing in this locker room. But this clubhouse was so tight last year that we'll be able to find that rhythm right away when they come back." With so many Mariners competing, it's hard to watch a WBC game and not see it. He has provided entertainment for his teammates in camp, and just a little concern for the manager and front office. "I saw [Byron] Buxton get hit on the elbow," manager Dan Wilson said last weekend. "Seeing something like this is every organization's nightmare. That always happens. But you can't compete with caution." Dipoto also downplayed the idea that management is watching the games with bated breath, even if that sentiment existed in some corners of the sport when the event began nearly 20 years ago. The belief that the benefits outweigh the risks now prevails, even in a front office that has been burned before. “It happened to us in 2017,” Dipoto said with a sigh. "We signed Drew Smyly. He's pitching in the WBC, for five innings, he was throwing 95, 96 miles an hour. And we felt like the cat that ate the canary. And about two weeks later, he had Tommy John surgery. And that could happen to anyone. "He has his fingers crossed, like when his children learn to drive for the first time. They leave and you think, 'Man, please come back safely.' That is my wish for all the boys who left. And when you're watching a game, you can't help but have that in the back of your mind." Dipoto, Wilson and the coaching staff are also watching closely how the guys are performing, not so much for the results but to evaluate where they are compared to where they would be if they were still in camp. It's not as easy on television, but at least they're getting a taste of March's performances in moments of great influence. "Gabe Speier threw 11 strikes in 14 pitches, and that's what you want to see," Dipoto said of one of his reliever's appearances. "And just like in Arizona, if a ball leaves the ballpark, it is what it is. But what you want to see is execution, throwing the ball wherever you want in the strike zone, working forward… all that good stuff.” What the team loses in having its stars leave for a couple of weeks, it gains in opportunities for others. Garver is an example. Resigned after camp began, and not long before Raleigh left to play for Team USA, Garver is getting more looks than he would if the 2025 AL MVP runner-up was preparing for the season ahead on the depth chart. The same goes for other receivers like newcomer Andrew Knizner and journeyman Jak.