PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Following Sunday's 7-3 Rays loss to Blue Jays, Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters they had cut five players.
Taylor Motter headlined the moves as the super utility man was optioned to Minor League camp.
"As far as Taylor Motter, he did everything he possibly could to present himself really well at this camp," Cash said. "He caught the ball. He's just a baseball player. Swung the bat really well. I'm glad that he was in camp because we'd heard a lot about him at the end of the year in [Triple-A] Durham and during the offseason. He probably lived up to it and lived up to the hype even more."
Should a need arrive this season, Cash said they have "all the confidence in the world basically playing him anywhere."
Motter will continue to play multiple positions at Durham.
"That's the plan," Cash said. "He'll get plenty of games at short. That's what makes him special; he's able to be versatile."

Reassigned to Minor League camp were right-handers Jhan Marinez and Tyler Sturdevant, outfielder Jaff Decker and catcher Mayo Acosta.
"All of those guys did some things really good this spring," Cash said. "Decker hit the cover off the ball from day one. Sturdevant, he really shined out really well from a pitching standpoint. Both of those guys, Marinez and Sturdevant, we have confidence in them helping us during the season."
The Rays now have 38 players in camp. Cash acknowledged that the final cutdown would likely come prior to Friday's split-squad contests when the Rays play games in Lakeland, Fla., against the Tigers and Orlando, Fla., against the Braves.