PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Baseball is a business, but chemistry can play a big part in the decision-making process, too.

Just ask Eloy Jiménez.

Jiménez was informed on Friday that he will be optioned to Triple-A Durham, and though the Rays gave him the option to pursue a Major League career elsewhere, he’s going to stick with Durham. It was a choice Jiménez made after talking things over with his family, and one he said was made that much easier by the environment he’s found himself in this spring.

“We like it here, we feel really good here, so we just want to give it a try and see what happens,” Jiménez said.

In a testament to just how well he’s gelled with his new team since he signed a Minor League deal with Tampa Bay on Dec. 23, a line of Rays filed past Jiménez’s locker on Saturday morning to shake his hand and wish him well.

“It was fun; I really loved it,” Jiménez said of his camp. “One of the reasons I’m staying [is] because I feel really good. I feel like they treat me like family.”

After scuffling out of the gate, Jiménez hit .310 (9-for-29) with one double, two homers and six RBIs over his past nine spring games, showing flashes of the big bat that drew such hype during his first two MLB seasons. The 28-year-old ultimately lost the battle for Tampa Bay’s final open utility spot to Curtis Mead, but that didn’t dim Jiménez’s smile for long: He feels like this spring is the start of a turning point and said he has “no doubt” that he’s back to being able to do damage against big league pitching.

“At the end [of camp], it was good,” Jiménez added. “I liked it. I started feeling [like] myself. …

“Last year was tough, but that’s in the past. It’s new year, new Eloy.”

What’s next?

Saturday marked the Rays’ final game at Charlotte Sports Park for the spring, though they have two Grapefruit League games remaining (Sunday vs. the Yankees, Monday vs. the Phillies). Tuesday is a full off-day for the position players, while some pitchers will return to Port Charlotte to throw in backfield games. On Wednesday, the Rays will play a roughly five-inning intrasquad game at Steinbrenner Field to get a final lay of the land at the Yankees' spring complex before opening the regular season there against the Rockies at 4:10 p.m. ET Friday.

“I think they're pretty acclimated to that field, but we'll have plenty of days leading into Opening Day where we can get their reps and see ... how the ball plays off the outfield walls and different angles and stuff like that,” manager Kevin Cash said.

Jansen resting

Danny Jansen, whom Tampa Bay signed to a one-year deal on Dec. 12, has not played since March 19 due to discomfort in his intercostal area. Cash said he’d like to see the catcher back in action either Monday or Wednesday.

“We're trying to just manage and keep him off the field for a couple days,” Cash added. “He's in a really good spot. He's feeling really good, so we're still optimistic about everything.”