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Sox moves include parting ways with Belisario

CHICAGO -- Parting ways with reliever Ronald Belisario was one of seven moves the Chicago White Sox made Thursday.

The club also added four players to the 40-man roster: right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas, infielders Rangel Ravelo and Tyler Saldano and catcher Kevan Smith. Outfielder Jared Mitchell was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte, while left-handed pitcher Onelki Garcia was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The move to designate Belisario for assignment comes as no surprise as the right-hander had a 5.56 ERA over 66 1/3 innings. Signed to a $3 million deal for 2014, the right-hander was late to spring training because of his reoccurring visa issues, started the season in impressive fashion, but then crumbled when he was put in the closer role after an injury to Matt Lindstrom.

Belisario remains arbitration eligible for 2015, but he is now headed for free agency for the second consecutive season after the Los Angeles Dodgers cut him loose after the 2013 season.

Montas has become one of the standouts of the White Sox’s system after coming to the club in the 2013 three-team deal that sent Jake Peavy to the Boston Red Sox and brought Avisail Garcia over from the Detroit Tigers.

Baseball America ranked Montas’ fastball the best in the Carolina League as the 21-year old went a combined 5-0 with a 1.44 ERA, 80 strikeouts and a .182 opponents’ batting average over three different minor-league levels.

Ravelo, a sixth-round draft pick by the White Sox in 2001 was rated by Baseball America as the 10th-best prospect in the club’s system. Saldano, who batted .310 over 82 games for Triple-A Charlotte last season saw his season end early after elbow surgery. Smith, a former seventh-round draft pick in 2011 was a Southern League midseason all-star last season.

Garcia is a Cuba native, who was a third-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2012. He appeared in three major league games in 2013 after just 36 games in the minor leagues. He had elbow surgery in November of 2013 and appeared in one minor league game last year.

The White Sox’s 40-man roster is now at 40 players.