BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJORS : McDowell Agrees to Ranger Contract

The Texas Rangers agreed to a $500,000, one-year contract with reliever Roger McDowell.

The 34-year-old right-hander, who made $1.25 million with the Dodgers last season, has a 62-65 record with a 3.17 ERA and 151 saves in 618 games with the New York Mets (1985-89), Philadelphia Phillies (1989-91) and Dodgers (1991-94). He can earn an additional $100,000 in performance bonuses.

McDowell was 0-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 32 games last season, ranking third on the Dodgers’ staff in appearances and games finished (11).

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Chris Sabo agreed to a $550,000, one-year contract to be the Chicago White Sox’s designated hitter. He can earn another $550,000 in performance bonuses.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t have much of a choice. I wanted to go back to the National League but it didn’t work out,” Sabo said. “I would have preferred to sign to play in the field.”

Sabo was not the White Sox’s first choice. They were interested in Mark Grace before he re-signed with the Cubs, and they talked with John Kruk and Mickey Tettleton about batting cleanup behind Frank Thomas.

Chicago is trying to replace Julio Franco, who had his best season a year ago, hitting .319 with 20 home runs and 98 runs batted in before signing with a team in Japan.

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The Cleveland Indians signed their fourth free agent in six days, agreeing to a $700,000, one-year contract with left-handed reliever Paul Assenmacher. Assenmacher, 34, can earn an additional $200,000 in performance bonuses. He spent the 1994 season with the Chicago White Sox, going 2-1 with one save and a 3.55 ERA.

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Pitcher Teddy Higuera and the San Diego Padres agreed to a minor league contract, and he was invited to spring training as a non-roster player. Higuera, 36, would get a $75,000 signing bonus and a $200,000 salary if he makes the team. He also could earn an additional $300,000 in performance bonuses based on innings.

Higuera was 96-64 with a 3.61 ERA in nine seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. He has been troubled by arm injuries.

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Pitcher Danny Darwin signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, who traded for Cy Young Award winner David Cone last week.

Darwin, 39, signed a one-year contract for $300,000. Last year, he made $2.4 million while going 7-5 with a 6.30 ERA for Boston.

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Former Dodger Mike Maddux, the brother of Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves, signed a minor-league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . The Cincinnati Reds obtained right-handed pitcher Marcus Moore from the Colorado Rockies in a trade that sent minor league infielder Chris Sexton to Colorado. Moore, 24, was 4-2 with a 6.45 ERA in 56 relief appearances with the Rockies.

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Bob Allison, a 1959 Rookie of the Year who became one of the early stars of the Minnesota Twins, died in Minneapolis of undetermined causes. He was 60.

Allison, a slugging outfielder, spent 13 seasons in the majors and was a two-time All-Star. He joined the Washington Senators late in the 1958 season and was the league’s top rookie the following year, when he hit .261 with 30 homers, 85 RBIs and a league-leading nine triples.