A.J. Preller stays busy as Padres add Luis Arraez backup plan on minor league deal

San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller doesn’t really do “quiet” in December — he just does “quietly announced,” then immediately moves on to the next thing.

In the span of about a day, the Padres stacked up a classic Preller flurry: a low-risk minor league dart with former Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie, a late-night headline-grabber by bringing Michael King back on a three-year, $75 million deal, and a quick follow-up with KBO standout Sung-mun Song to deepen the infield mix. 

A.J. Preller quietly takes a low-risk swing on former Twins bat Jose Miranda

And before anyone could finish arguing about what the Song signing means for the corner infield, Preller slipped another name onto the pile: former Twins infielder Jose Miranda on a minor league contract with a spring training invite, per Aram Leighton. 

This is the part where Padres fans squint, because Miranda is both a sensible “Luis Arraez insurance” play and the kind of lottery ticket Preller can’t resist. The floor is obvious: Miranda, 27, has a career .719 OPS, and 2025 was rough — he got only 12 MLB games and posted a .569 OPS at Triple-A.  That’s exactly why this is a minor league deal and not a roster promise.

But the ceiling? That’s why you take the swing.

Miranda’s bat has flashed loudly in the very recent past. In July 2024, he went 12-for-12 across consecutive at-bats, matching the MLB record and setting a Twins franchise mark.  It was one of those “is this real life?” heaters that turns a guy from depth piece into must-watch TV for a week.

He’s also shown he can hold down everyday at-bats when things are normal. As a rookie, Miranda hit .268 with 15 homers and 66 RBIs over 125 games, giving Minnesota steady production while injuries chewed through the lineup. 

For San Diego, that’s the point: Arraez isn’t the table-setter anymore, and the Padres can’t just assume that kind of bat is waiting for them later. Miranda doesn’t have to be the July 2024 video-game version of himself to matter. If he’s simply functional, he gives the Padres a real fallback option if the “replace Arraez’s contact” plan turns into a scavenger hunt.

Preller’s been collecting options. Miranda is another one — and the best kind is the one that costs you almost nothing if it doesn’t hit.