José Miranda Signs Minor League Deal with Padres, Eyes Fresh Start in San Diego
José Miranda is getting another shot at the big leagues.
The 27-year-old corner infielder has signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres, which includes an invitation to big league spring training. It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward move for San Diego, and a chance for Miranda to reset after a tough 2025 season derailed what once looked like a promising MLB career.
Let’s rewind for a moment. Miranda entered 2025 with a spot on the Twins’ Opening Day roster, but things quickly went sideways.
In just 12 games, he slashed .167/.167/.250 with a single home run and five RBIs. The struggles at the plate were compounded by a costly baserunning blunder that led to an early demotion.
From there, it didn’t get much better. In 90 games at Triple-A St.
Paul, Miranda hit just .195 with seven homers and a sub-.300 slugging percentage. The Twins released him in early November.
It’s a far cry from where he was just a year earlier.
In 2024, Miranda turned in the best season of his young career. He posted a .284/.322/.441 slash line, good for a 112 OPS+, and added 28 doubles, four triples, and nine homers to go along with 49 RBIs.
He was worth 1.7 bWAR, a solid contribution for a player who had battled injuries and inconsistency the year before. His most memorable moment came on July 6, when he tied the MLB record for most consecutive at-bats with a hit - 12 straight - joining the likes of Johnny Kling, Pinky Higgins, and Walt Dropo in the history books.
That stretch reminded everyone of the promise Miranda showed as a rookie in 2022, when he hit .268 with a 114 OPS+ over 483 plate appearances. Back then, he was the Twins’ No. 3 prospect and looked like a long-term piece of their infield. But after a rocky start to 2023 and a season-ending injury in July of that year, his trajectory began to shift.
Now he’s hoping to change the narrative in San Diego.
The Padres, who saw both Luis Arráez and Ryan O’Hearn log significant time at first base last season, currently have some uncertainty at the position with both players now free agents. Miranda, who can play both first and third, could work his way into the mix if he puts together a strong spring or gets hot early in the Triple-A season.
The glove remains a question mark - Miranda has long been considered a below-average defender - and that likely played a role in Minnesota’s decision to move on, especially with a loaded infield that already includes Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Luke Keaschall, Josh Bell, Kody Clemens, and Kaelen Culpepper.
But for the Padres, this is a calculated gamble. Miranda’s bat has shown flashes of real upside, and if he can recapture even a glimpse of his 2024 form, he could provide valuable depth - or more - at a position of need.
For Miranda, it’s about proving he still belongs. The tools are there. Now it’s about turning the page and making the most of a fresh opportunity in San Diego.