White Sox decline Albers' option, outright Shuck

CHICAGO -- The White Sox announced five roster moves Thursday prior to their organization's meetings on Friday in Arizona.
Matt Albers' $3 million club option for 2017 was declined, with the team opting to exercise a $250,000 buyout. The right-handed reliever signed a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the option before the '16 season, but he will now be a free agent.
Third baseman Matt Davidson and right-hander Jake Petricka were reinstated from the 60-day disabled list. Outfielder J.B. Shuck was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte, and right-handed reliever Daniel Webb was released. The White Sox 40-man roster has 37 players on it.
Albers, 33, turned in one of the most memorable moments of the 2016 season for the White Sox, but it came with his bat and his legs. The reliever doubled leading off the 13th inning of a tie game against the Mets in New York, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on José Abreu's sacrifice fly. He didn't slide going into second on the double, apologizing to second baseman Neil Walker by telling him he didn't really know how to slide.
After posting a 1.21 ERA in 2015 for the White Sox, Albers opened the '16 season with a scoreless April over 11 2/3 innings. His ERA was never under 5.63 during any month in the rest of the season. Albers finished 2-6 with a 6.31 ERA in 51 1/3 innings over 58 appearances.
Davidson, 25, was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 1 with a broken right foot suffered while running the bases on June 30 vs. Minnesota, and then he was transferred to the 60-day disabled list on July 17. He hit .268 with 20 doubles, 10 home runs, 46 RBIs and 35 runs scored over 75 games with Triple-A Charlotte in '16, and he had two at-bats at the big league level before the injury.
Petricka, 28, went 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA over nine relief outings in 2016 before being placed on the disabled list on May 5 (retroactive to May 2) with a right hip impingement. He was transferred to the 60-day disabled list on July 6. Petricka, along with Zach Putnam, proved to be major injury-related relief losses for the White Sox during the season.

Shuck, 29, hit .205 with five doubles, two triples, four home runs, 14 RBIs and 27 runs scored over 80 games with the White Sox in 2016.
Webb, 27, appeared in just one game with the White Sox in 2016 before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right elbow in June. He went 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 94 relief appearances over four seasons (2013-16) with the White Sox, and he could still return via a Minor League deal.