With a record of 7-9, the Mariners come to Oakland tied with the Angels for third place in the wild western division, just a half of a game behind the A’s in second, and 3.5 games behind the first place Astros. The A’s usual opening day opponents made a ton of trades and small signings throughout the entire offseason to try and finally push the underachieving franchise over the edge.
The Mariners improved just about every single aspect of their roster during their busy offseason. Players like Danny Valencia, Mitch Haniger, and Jean Segura were traded for to deepen their already-powerful lineup.