Jorge Cantu, who was Tampa Bay's top offensive player in 2005 when he had 28 home runs and 117 RBIs, did not like the news he had been optioned to Triple-A Durham, but showed class responding to questions after receiving it. "What can I say, I'm not a Minor League player," Cantu said. "I think a change of scenery would be best." Cantu elaborated by saying he asked the Rays to trade him. "And it's just for the best," Cantu said. "I don't have anything to prove down there. I guess I have to go." Rays manager Joe Maddon explained the decision. "We just chose Jon's bat right now," Maddon said. "Jorge, we just felt like there was a lack of a position. Jon, we feel we can put him in the outfield now because he is functional. Jorge, we weren't going to play him at second base. We didn't see first base as a viable option right now. And we had other things we wanted to do with the DH role. On all three counts, it kind of knocked him out of there."