SABO TO CHISOX: 3B Chris Sabo got some surprising news when thetelephone woke him up yesterday: His agent told him he was wanted bythe White Sox, who train in Sarasota, Fla., where Sabo lives. Out ofwork as a free agent, Sabo wasn't about to be picky, so he agreed toa $550,000, one-year contract to be the Chicago'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 wantedto go back to the National League but it didn't work out,' said Sabo,who arrived at the White Sox spring training complex to take battingpractice less than an hour after agreeing to terms. 'I would havepreferred to sign to play in the field. My role is a DH and I will domy best to adjust to that role. I'll probably have less chance ofgetting hurt.'
Sabo -- who played with the Orioles last season -- was not theWhite Sox's first choice either. They were interested in 1B MarkGrace before he re-signed with the Cubs and they talked with freeagents John Kruk and Mickey Tettleton about batting cleanup behind 1BFrank Thomas.
Chicago is trying to replace DH Julio Franco, who hit .319 with 20homers and 98 RBI last season before signing with a team in Japan.
Sabo was unhappy last season, his only one with the Orioles, afterhe was hurt early in the season and lost the starting third base jobto Leo Gomez. DARWIN TO JAYS: The Blue Jays completed theirstarting rotation, signing RHP Danny Darwin to a $300,000, one-yearcontract. Darwin, 39, a veteran of 15 full seasons in the majors, was7-5 with a 6.30 ERA in 75 2/3 innings with the Red Sox last season.The Blue Jays' rotation is expected to consist of RHP David Cone --acquired in a trade with the Royals last week -- RHP Pat Hentgen, RHPJuan Guzman, LHP Al Leiter and Darwin. INDIANS ADD RELIEVER: TheIndians bolstered their bullpen by signing LHP Paul Assenmacher to a$700,000, one-year contract. Assenmacher can earn an additional$200,000 in performance bonuses. He spent the 1994 season with theWhite Sox, going 1-2 with one save and a 3.55 ERA. HIGUERA SIGNS:LHP Teddy Higuera and the Padres agreed to a minor league contractand the pitcher was invited to spring training as a non-rosterplayer. Higuera, 36, will get a $75,000 signing bonus and a $200,000salary if he makes the team. He also could earn an additional$300,000 in performance bonuses based on innings pitched. MOORE TOREDS: The Reds obtained RHP Marcus Moore from the Rockies in a tradethat sent minor league IF Chris Sexton to Colorado. Moore was 4-2with a 6.45 ERA in 56 relief appearances with the Rockies the pasttwo seasons. M. MADDUX TO PIRATES: RHP Mike Maddux, brother of two-time defending NL Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux of the Braves,signed a minor league contract with the Pirates and will get theopportunity to make Pittsburgh's opening day roster as a middlereliever. Maddux was 2-1 with a 5.11 ERA in 27 games last season withthe Mets. CANTON BACKS OFF: The Canton-Akron Indians have backedoff a threat to withdraw The Repository's press credentials if thenewspaper published negative stories about the team. The newspaperhad told the Indians, the Class AA Eastern League affiliate of theCleveland Indians, that it would not accept limits on its coverageand would buy grandstand seats for its reporters if necessary tocover the games.
Bob Stewart, The Repository's sports editor, said the club hadagreed to provide unconditional credentials to writers covering theteam. Stewart met Saturday with Canton-Akron Indians General ManagerJeff Auman and called it 'a friendly session that cleared the air andanswered some questions.'
