After 10-year run with White Sox, Garcia placed on waivers

The White Sox set their 26-man roster Thursday before opening the season against the Astros.

As expected, Oscar Colas and Romy Gonzalez made the team and Leury Garcia did not.

Even though he's been with the Sox since 2013 and is owed $11 million over the next two years, Garcia was placed on unconditional release waivers.

"The message from (chairman) Jerry Reinsdorf was clear that we need to go with the best 26 to put us in the best position to win this year," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told reporters in Houston. "Even if in the end, as was the case with Leury, it wound up with us having to eat some sunk cost on the contract there."

Garcia signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract before last season and wound up hitting a disappointing .210/.233/.267 with 3 home runs and 20 RBI in 97 games.

The 32-year-old Garcia played all over the infield and outfield during his 10-year run with the Sox.

"I think Leury García's going to help a team at some point this year win," Hahn said. "He just didn't quite fit with the top group and what (manager) Pedro (Grifol) wanted to do on a day-in, day-out basis, in terms of late-game substitutions or mixing and matching some.

"In the end, the thought was let's go with the strongest guys who can fill in when needed, and this is, we all agree, the right thing to do. It's about winning ballgames, not about contracts."

In other roster moves, the White Sox purchased infielder Hanser Alberto's contract and optioned third baseman Jake Burger and left-handed reliever Tanner Banks to Class AAA Charlotte.

Relief pitchers Liam Hendriks (cancer treatment), Garrett Crochet (elbow) and Matt Foster (forearm) were placed on the 15-day injured list.