Should the Twins Sell High on José Miranda?

[Matthew Lenz]

The Minnesota Twins had a top-10 offense in baseball, which is impressive considering their month-and-a-half-long slump to end the season. Their depth of positional players, especially on the dirt, gives them the flexibility to sell high on one of their young corner infielders.

Image courtesy of © Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

José Miranda was a relatively unheralded prospect prior to his 2021 breakout with the Twins' Double- and Triple-A affiliates. He carried that success into 2022, where he slashed .268/.325/.426 in 125 games, but then struggled in 2023, largely due to a shoulder injury that hampered him for most of the season. Entering his age-26 season, many wondered if he was a two-year wonder, or if he could re-establish himself as a long-term fixture in the middle of the Twins lineup. A month into the 2024 season, Miranda quickly answered the bell.

Through Aug. 17—prior, in other words, to the entire offense collapsing—Miranda slashed .308/.348/.490, with an impressive 14.3% K rate and a 137 wRC+. While he didn’t show the over-the-fence power he flashed in the minors in 2021 and in the bigs in 2022, he still provided plenty of gap-to-gap power, with 26 doubles and even two triples. While being one of the most consistent offensive contributors, he left more to be desired with his glove. Like, a lot more.

According to Baseball Savant, Miranda had the third-worst Fielding Run Value of any third baseman who played at least 500 innings. He had an even 0 FRV in a much smaller sample at first base, but in 2022, he posted a -4 there. In short, while Miranda was one of the best contributors at the plate, he’s a well-below-average player in the field, on a team that already has too many question marks around the diamond. Eduoard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, Brooks Lee, Austin Martin, Michael Helman, and even Royce Lewis are other infielders on the big-league roster with average or worse gloves, and that doesn’t even include Yunior Severino, who was added to the 40-man roster last winter as another positionless infield slugger.

While Lee and Lewis would return significantly more value than Miranda in trades, they are centerpieces of the Twins' current competitive window, as former first-round picks who are just 23 and 25, respectively. Moreover, their gloves also are far more passable and versatile; they're more likely to stay in defensive lineups throughout their big league careers. Miranda may be better off as a DH as he ages. Young, above-average hitters are always going to be valuable and have a job in Major League Baseball, so (despite his shortcomings in the field) I believe that Miranda would have quite a few suitors of the Twins shopped him around this offseason. 

One caveat to add is that any player acquired in a trade is likely going to be more expensive than Miranda, who will be in his final pre-arbitration year and make around $800,000, but the Twins also have arbitration decisions to make on a handful of relievers who are projected to earn over $10 million via arbitration in total. If they can make a move on Miranda prior to the mid-November tender deadline, they will have better line of sight into which of those relievers they can “afford” to tender and which ones they may need to let walk. That also doesn’t take into account the roughly $3 million raise that Willi Castro is projected to get in 2025, and how those funds could be repurposed to fill an area of need if they decide to move on from the super-utility player.

Miranda's value might be in the sweet spot, where the Twins can get something helpful and shake up their positional group for 2025 without losing a player they view as indispensable. Much depends on how other segments of the market take shape in the weeks ahead, but this possibility bears watching.

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Would you trade José Miranda or one of the other utility infielders mentioned in this article? If so, what position would you target? Join the conversation in the comments!

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[bean5302]

Not sure why Miranda is the whipping boy around here? He posted slightly positive UZR/150's (a metric which is stable much faster than OAA) at 1B both in 2022 and 2024 (he didn't cover the position in 2023). Miranda doesn't have a particularly strong arm and he's slow. He doesn't have the physical skill set to excel at positions apart from 1B.

I think there is a little more left in Miranda's tank. He's cheap, I expect he'll be average at 1B where the Twins have zero good depth, and he's controlled for many more seasons. What exactly does trading a cost controlled starting caliber position player at league minimum salary help with?

Nothing.

[Blyleven2011]

Every player on the roster is available to be traded if the price is right  ...

If a player is not in the team's long term future , the team should explore trades instead of losing the player for nothing  ...

I think the twins will try and trade players with a higher price tag this winter  ...

[Teflon]

The Twins will still need extra depth in the infield given the IR time we can count on from Lewis and Correa along with the departure of Farmer. I don't see Miranda as being expendable unless the Twins can manage to offload Vazquez or Paddack for a more serviceable defender.

[Jocko87]

Can we just list all the sell high players in one article?  No.  Need Clicks.

Oh, whats that?  They don't have any sell high players?  No.  Maybe Jax?  Maaaybe Wallner if you squint a bit.  Ober?  Off limits, just fold the team.

Teams that finish 12-27 don't usually have sell high players and our boys almost certainly do not.

 

[nicksaviking]

I'm up for trades, but as far as the team's bats go, I'm not sure you can sell any at a high value right now outside of Wallner. Who I wouldn't trade.

As for Miranda specifically, I might keep him. Seems to me that if there's one guy who might profile for a power increase due to a possible new approach with a new hitting coach, it would be him.

[Schmoeman5]

42 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Not sure why Miranda is the whipping boy around here? He posted slightly positive UZR/150's (a metric which is stable much faster than OAA) at 1B both in 2022 and 2024 (he didn't cover the position in 2023). Miranda doesn't have a particularly strong arm and he's slow. He doesn't have the physical skill set to excel at positions apart from 1B.

I think there is a little more left in Miranda's tank. He's cheap, I expect he'll be average at 1B where the Twins have zero good depth, and he's controlled for many more seasons. What exactly does trading a cost controlled starting caliber position player at league minimum salary help with?

Nothing.

Miranda is not a whipping boy here. The article questions  whether the Twins should sell high on Miranda. Yes. If they can sell high on him. The real question here is, what is high? We've already seen articles in trading Ober, Ryan, Castro, Lopez etc. Are the Twins going to trade for high prospects or will it be more like Lopez for Arreaz type trades?  The articles don't dive into those questions.

[HerbieFan]

I don't know that trading him now would be selling "high".

[tony&rodney]

12 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Miranda is not a whipping boy here. The article questions  whether the Twins should sell high on Miranda. Yes. If they can sell high on him. The real question here is, what is high? We've already seen articles in trading Ober, Ryan, Castro, Lopez etc. Are the Twins going to trade for high prospects or will it be more like Lopez for Arreaz type trades?  The articles don't dive into those questions.

Seems like the guesses on potential trades will come soon enough with baseball closing up games in the next ten days.

[Doctor Gast]

Santana has been starting 1B forever, of course, his defense is good. Miranda has yet been given any significant time at 1B. Give Miranda significant time at 1B & see him improve & finally raise the WAR at 1B. Miranda should be the one at 1B, if you want to trade cheap Miranda, who do you want to fill 1B? an expensive FA lotto ticket? Where we have to trade another much-needed player to eliminate his salary. Miranda's value has risen but he hasn't come close to peak yet. Don't trade Miranda.

[Mike Sixel]

Mind. Boggling. Truly. They don't have enough IF, and people want to deal one away? 

[Byrdman]

Miranda should be at 1B/DH going forward.  They could move Lewis to 1B and it could help him stay healthy. But rotating him in at 2nd and 3rd will be needed. Lee can play 3B and Julian can play 2B. That is 5 infielders they can rotate around to give rest days as needed. Who ever is not in the field is the DH.   

[Craig Arko]

So, you mean two years ago?

[RpR]

5 minutes ago, Byrdman said:

Miranda should be at 1B/DH going forward.  They could move Lewis to 1B and it could help him stay healthy. But rotating him in at 2nd and 3rd will be needed. Lee can play 3B and Julian can play 2B. That is 5 infielders they can rotate around to give rest days as needed. Who ever is not in the field is the DH.   

A giant rotating hole in the infield, brilliant.

[umterp23]

Next up in the should we trade someone because of .... take your guesses.

Mine is Brooks Lee

[TheLeviathan]

Is this selling high though?

[Fire Dan Gladden]

Correa, Buxton, Lopez, Ober, and Ryan (possibly Lewis) are the only ones I would deem "untouchable".  Everyone else on this roster could be had for the right price.

[Trov]

Should they trade him, only if the right deal comes along.  He is someone that could be sold high on, but how high is that?  He is basically a DH or 1B.  He has shown an ability to hit for periods of time, but he has also shown he will slump for months. I doubt many teams are super high on him but his years of control has value.  I would not for sure look to get even an MLB ready talent but some prospects would be fine if you like the prospects.  We have plenty in the wings to take over for Miranda if needed. 

[mickster]

2 hours ago, umterp23 said:

Next up in the should we trade someone because of .... take your guesses.

Mine is Brooks Lee

I am 100% behind trading him - brings back the most value

[tony&rodney]

Twins Daily is a baseball site, a Twins baseball site. It seems pretty natural that there would be a whole raft of articles exploring ideas such as who has what value in a trade or any number of other thoughts. This doesn't seem controversial. In fact it is more or less expected that there would be exploratory articles. The article questioning the role for Jose Miranda is quite fair. We should see a similar story on others: Lewis, Lee, etc.

Fans don't have any say in how rosters are put together, so the thoughts, opinions, and ideas on any baseball (sports) site are merely entertainment. As such, I wish people would put in their two cents without getting upset or pushing aside an individual's article as click bait because by definition everything on the internet is click bait.

[Riverbrian]

I'm not selling him because I don't think he is high enough to sell right now. 

Actually I'm not selling him because I'm counting on him next year. 

Lewis is often injured. Kirilloff is often injured. Julien might play a little 1B. Pete Alonso most likely isn't coming. 

Miranda is on my roster. 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Every single player should be for sale every year. . . but only for the right price.  I'm not sure if dealing Miranda is a good or bad idea in a vacuum, because in a vacuum we don't know what the return will be.  I would deal him (in a package probably) in a second for a front line starting pitcher with some control, or for a big powerhitter that plays great defense.  However, dealing him for an A ball flyer or a mediocre relief pitcher is a non-starter for me.  I don't think there is anyone who is truly untouchable after the season the Twins had collectively, but I also think it is foolish to have a fire sale for no reason at all.  That's how you become the White Sox. 

It's easy to say, "Maybe we should" or "Maybe we shouldn't".  What I would like to see is an article with some specific comps around the league that have a similar value, along with some actual proposals for said deals.  I know we don't know who is willing to deal, but it's really no more speculative than an article like this. 

[Cap'n Piranha]

Given the Twins need to fill out the roster with inexpensive players, and Miranda's $800k price tag (literally the cheapest MLB contract possible), Miranda is only getting moved for an insane return (like Seattle deciding to send us Colt Emerson in some panic kneejerk attempt to fix their offense NOW), or as part of a deal to offload a bigger contract which is viewed as underwater (read--Correa, Buxton, or Vazquez).

As such, Jose Miranda will 100% be on the team next year, and will split his time (in all likelihood) between 3B, 1B, and DH.  I imagine some combo of Correa, Lewis, Lee, Julien, and Miranda will be the preferred option to man the 4 IF spots, and occasionally DH.

[Maybe Next Year]

Enough of this nonsense. Yep, let’s trade our young future stars for a bunch of washed up has beens while we give away our future? No, it’s time to bring up the youngsters from the minor league system to fill the holes we have. Our minor league system is rated number 2 in all of baseball. Time to bring the kids up and see what they can do. Also time to get rid of an inept manager who can’t teach basics and relies on his computer and hire a manager who knows how to develop these young talented kids. 

[Greglw3]

I wouldn’t trade him. His ceiling is too high. 1B is most logical.

[RpR]

1 hour ago, Maybe Next Year said:

Enough of this nonsense. Yep, let’s trade our young future stars for a bunch of washed up has beens while we give away our future? No, it’s time to bring up the youngsters from the minor league system to fill the holes we have. Our minor league system is rated number 2 in all of baseball. Time to bring the kids up and see what they can do. Also time to get rid of an inept manager who can’t teach basics and relies on his computer and hire a manager who knows how to develop these young talented kids. 

LOL, what stars?

Many here are still hyping Lewis, Lewis, Lewis but now that is just wishful thinking, as reality says Lewis is average.

Let's see , hmm, Lee and Martin, came and . so far,  they only star in the minds of the posters here.

Julien -- as Mr.Bill would say -- ACK-PFFT- his days are done except maybe AAA.

Time to bring up the kids, and fight Chicago for last place, wonderful thought.

[tony&rodney]

4 minutes ago, RpR said:

LOL, what stars?

Many here are still hyping Lewis, Lewis, Lewis but now that is just wishful thinking, are reality says Lewis is average.

Let's see , hmm, Lee and Martin, came and . so far,  they only star in the minds of the posters here.

Julien -- as Mr.Bill would say -- ACK-PFFT- his days are done except maybe AAA.

Time to bring up the kids, and fight Chicago for last place, wonderful thought.

Please make some specific suggestions of what you are thinking could be done instead of finding fault with the ideas of others. You lose all credibility when you just complain. I think you likely have some thoughts on who should play .... just put them down in the comments. I'm old and believe people need to move forward. The sky is not really falling down.

[Matthew Lenz]

6 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Mind. Boggling. Truly. They don't have enough IF, and people want to deal one away? 

What? They have a pretty big surplus of infielders...none of which are overly great in the field.

[Matthew Lenz]

8 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Not sure why Miranda is the whipping boy around here? He posted slightly positive UZR/150's (a metric which is stable much faster than OAA) at 1B both in 2022 and 2024 (he didn't cover the position in 2023). Miranda doesn't have a particularly strong arm and he's slow. He doesn't have the physical skill set to excel at positions apart from 1B.

I think there is a little more left in Miranda's tank. He's cheap, I expect he'll be average at 1B where the Twins have zero good depth, and he's controlled for many more seasons. What exactly does trading a cost controlled starting caliber position player at league minimum salary help with?

Nothing.

I think they should shop him not as a knock to his game but because he can return decent value that can help fill gaps elsewhere.

[Mike Sixel]

25 minutes ago, Matthew Lenz said:

What? They have a pretty big surplus of infielders...none of which are overly great in the field.

CC is always hurt. Julien, we don't know if he can hit. Lewis is always hurt. They have no first baseman. Lee needs time in AAA. Where is this surplus?