José Miranda sadly among Twins' five roster cuts
The Minnesota Twins announced they cut five players from their 40-man roster on Friday. Additionally, the team announced that righty pitcher Cody Laweryson was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels. Most of the Twins' roster cuts weren't huge surprises, as right-handed pitchers Thomas Hatch and Michael Tonkin and left-handed pitchers Génesis Cabrera and Anthony Misiewicz were predictably outrighted off the roster. However, seeing the name of the other player to be outrighted off the roster, corner infielder José Miranda, certainly catches the attention of Twins fans.
Early in his career, Miranda looked as if he'd be an everyday player for the Twins for years to come. Miranda, who was at one point the Twins' No. 3-ranked prospect, had a decent rookie season in 2022, slashing .268/.325/.426 (114 OPS+) in 483 plate appearances. Miranda regressed in 2023, as he was demoted to Triple-A St. Paul in May before suffering a season-ending injury about two weeks after being recalled in early July.
Miranda had his best season in 2024. That year, he posted 1.7 bWAR and a .284/.322/.441 (112 OPS+) slash line with nine homers, four triples, 28 doubles and 49 RBIs. Not to mention, he tied the MLB record for the most hits in consecutive at-bats (12) on July 6, 2024.
However, while 2024 was overall Miranda's best season, he regressed significantly after his record-breaking hitting streak, finishing the season going 35-for-61 with no home runs and just four walks. His struggles continued into the 2025 season, as the former top-100 prospect was demoted to Triple-A St. Paul in April after beginning the season 6-for-36 at the plate. His demotion came immediately after the game he committed a costly baserunning mistake.
Unfortunately, Miranda continued to post poor offensive stats following his demotion to Triple-A St. Paul this year. In fact, he struggled so badly that he failed to earn another promotion to the major leagues, even when the Twins traded nearly 40% of their roster and needed a lot of help from minor leaguers. In 90 games with the Saints in 2025, Miranda hit .195/.272/.296 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs.
If Miranda weren't a below-average defender, maybe the Twins would have held onto him for next season. Minnesota just doesn't have the roster space for a poor defender who cannot seem to hit Triple-A pitching. Miranda will likely get an opportunity with another team, but he will have to prove himself worthy of sticking around quickly.