The Minnesota Twins went through a significant amount of roster cutdown at the end of the season. They needed to shuffle talent prior to the Rule 5 Draft, and they decided on multiple players to lop off the 40-man roster.

Among them, and it had trended this way for quite sometime, was Jose Miranda. Not only did he fumble an opportunity to stick on the big league roster this season, but he flailed away at Triple-A St. Paul too.

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From the moment he injured himself trying to carry water at Target, the downhill trend never reversed itself. Sitting out on the open market, he has settled for a minor league deal and a fresh start.

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Padres pick up former Minnesota Twins infielder Jose Miranda

It wasn’t long ago that Jose Miranda set the major league record for hits in consecutive plate appearances. He once looked like a cornerstone building block for the Minnesota Twins. Then he found a cliff, fell off, and now has a new employer.

The Twins took Jose Miranda in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was a post-hype prospect that debuted in the big leagues during 2022. His 114 OPS+ as a rookie was a solid start, but he cratered to a 55 OPS+ across just 40 games in 2023.

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Miranda ripped off hits in 12-consecutive plate appearances in 2024 and posted a .284/.322/.441 slash line. He appeared to have an inside track for a starting role last season, but began the year going just 6-for-36 with a 13/0 K/BB in 12 games.

The Minnesota Twins sent Miranda to the minors and he did nothing to warrant a recall. Across 90 games he batted .195/.272/.296. With injury issues and ineffectiveness mounting, there was an underwhelming end coming for the once promising Puerto Rican.

Miranda will look to find opportunity with the San Diego Padres. Where he fits is more of a question. He’ll need to show well during Cactus League competition to warrant an Opening Day roster spot. San Diego has Manny Machado at the hot corner, but first base could present an opportunity.

Set to play in his age-28 season, Miranda has plenty of career left. He isn’t arbitration eligible until 2027, and won’t hit free agency until 2030.

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