Rangers trade struggling Nevin to Cubs

Struggling designated hitter Phil Nevin, 35, was traded yesterday by the Texas Rangers to the Cubs, who desperately need a bat in the middle of their lineup to help replace injured slugger Derrek Lee. The Rangers got utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. and will pay most of the remaining difference between Nevin's $10 million salary and the $2.5 million Hairston is making this season. Nevin was hitting .216 . . . Athletics second baseman Mark Ellis has a broken right thumb that will sideline him up to six weeks . . . Starting righthander Kelvim Escobar agreed to a three-year extension with the Los Angeles Angels, putting him under contract through the 2009 season.

The Kansas City Royals fired general manager Allard Baird and replaced him with 39-year-old Dayton Moore of the Atlanta Braves. Moore, an assistant GM with one of the most successful organizations in baseball, will be asked to turn around one of the worst . . . San Francisco Giants minor league catcher Yamid Haad was suspended 50 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance . . . Two San Francisco Chronicle reporters subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury about how they got Barry Bonds's leaked testimony urged a judge to let them off the hook. Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams argued that the First Amendment protects reporters and their sources . . . Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield traveled to New York for evaluation of his sore left wrist.

The Tennessee Titans must allow Steve McNair to work out on their property as long as he has a contract with the team, an arbitrator ruled. John Feerick heard more than seven hours of testimony May 16 on charges that the Titans breached McNair's contract by barring him from working out at the team's headquarters. The union filed the grievance, arguing he should be allowed to work out on the property or be released. The Titans originally told McNair April 3 he wasn't allowed to work out on the property because they feared the liability of a $23.46 million salary cap hit if McNair got hurt . . . The Carolina Panthers promoted running backs coach Jim Skipper to assistant head coach.

Rookie Seimone Augustus scored a season-high 26 points and the Minnesota Lynx set the WNBA record for points in a game in a 114-71 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Minneapolis, surpassing the 111 set by Detroit June 18, 2000 . . . In Houston, Dominique Canty scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Comets to a 73-60 victory over Indiana, handing the Fever their first loss . . . Yolanda Griffith had 21 points and eight rebounds, and Ticha Penicheiro added 15 points in the Monarchs' 87-66 victory over the Seattle Storm at Sacramento . . . Kendra Wecker scored 18 points as the San Antonio Silver Stars kept Phoenix winless, beating the host Mercury, 82-76 . . . The Portland Trail Blazers decided not to extend general manager John Nash's contract, saying president Steve Patterson will serve as interim GM. Kevin Pritchard, director of player personnel, had his contract extended for next season, and will handle the June 28 draft. Pritchard is a candidate for general manager . . . An Aug. 14 trial date has been set for Celtics guard Tony Allen, who was charged with aggravated battery for his involvement in a nightclub shooting in Chicago in August.

Wayne Gretzky has agreed to a five-year contract to remain the Phoenix Coyotes' coach. Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leading scorer, made his coaching debut this season and guided the Coyotes to a 38-39-5 record. ``I'm excited about the next five years," Gretzky said. ``Obviously, our goal is still the same: to make our team a Stanley Cup championship team." . . . The NHL's oldest player, Chris Chelios, signed a one-year contract to remain with the Detroit Red Wings. He will be a 45-year-old defenseman next year.

Jaime Moreno scored his 100th MLS goal, becoming the second player in league history to reach the milestone, and host D.C. United increased its lead atop the Eastern Conference to 8 points with a 5-1 victory over the Columbus Crew. Moreno hit the century mark with a penalty kick in the eighth minute, joining Real Salt Lake's Jason Kreis (103) as the league's only triple-digit scorers . . . In Denver, Dedi Ben-Dayan scored in the 34th minute to lift the Colorado Rapids to a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy, who ended the month of May without scoring a goal . . . Revolution defender James Riley sustained a small tear in the peroneal muscle in his right foot and will miss 4-6 weeks, the team said. Riley was injured in the first half of a 1-1 tie with Houston Saturday . . . NASCAR fined Kyle Busch $50,000, docked 25 driver points, and placed him on probation for the rest of the year for throwing a safety device at Casey Mears's passing car Sunday during the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C. . . . Bryan Duplissie of East Swanzey, N.H., scattered nine hits while going the distance as Franklin Pierce (46-12) topped Ashland, 7-2, to stay alive in the NCAA Division 2 baseball championships at Montgomery, Ala. The Ravens face top-ranked Tampa (52-6) tonight . . . Florida State linebacker A.J. Nicholson and Fred Rouse, a wide receiver who was dismissed from the team in January, are charged with breaking into the apartment of Seminoles running back Lorenzo Booker and stealing $1,700 in electronic equipment, Tallahassee police said . . . Lasell College, Mount Ida, and Saint Joseph of Maine will join the Northeast Athletic Conference in the 2007-08 season.