According to Just Baseball and Aram Leighton, the San Diego Padres have signed Jose Miranda to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training. For the Padres, it is a low-risk upside play on a hitter who not long ago looked like a reliable middle-of-the-order presence. For Miranda, it is another opportunity to prove that his best baseball is not already behind him at age 27.

For a moment, it felt like the Twins had uncovered yet another homegrown bat. Miranda arrived in 2022 as a former second-round pick and top-100 prospect and eventually settled in after a rocky introduction to the majors. He finished his rookie season hitting .268/.325/.426 (.751) with a 116 wRC+, popping 15 home runs and 25 doubles in 483 plate appearances. 

A shoulder injury derailed Miranda’s 2023 season almost immediately. Installed as the Opening Day third baseman, he struggled badly before undergoing surgery, finishing the year with a .211/.263/.303 (.566) line. While the injury offered some explanation, it also introduced real questions about whether Miranda’s bat would ever fully bounce back.

In 2024, he appeared to answer some of those concerns. Miranda rebounded with a .284/.322/.441 (.763) slash line and a 112 OPS+ across 121 games. The production returned, but so did the physical issues. Repeated back injuries shortened his season and prevented him from building any real momentum heading into the following year.

Then came 2025, when everything unraveled. Miranda made the Opening Day roster but quickly looked overwhelmed. Through 12 games, he hit just .167 with 13 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances. His timing was off, the quality of contact evaporated, and the Twins sent him back to St. Paul. Things only worsened there. After a freak accident while carrying bottled water, Miranda struggled throughout the year, slashing .195/.272/.296 (.569) in 90 games with the Saints. His once reliable bat to ball skills disappeared as he chased pitches and failed to drive mistakes.

It was a shocking fall for a player who had looked like one of the Twins most dependable hitters just a year earlier. Miranda’s four year run in Minnesota ended with a .263 average, 28 home runs, and a 101 OPS+. He remains a bat first corner player with limited defensive value and pronounced reverse splits, but the talent has not vanished entirely.

For the Padres, this is a simple gamble. If Miranda can rediscover even a portion of his former self, the reward could be meaningful. If not, the cost is minimal.

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