BASEBALL REPORT : SPRING TRAINING UPDATE : Gooden, Mets Near Agreement

Dwight Gooden and the New York Mets are on the verge of reaching a new agreement that would make the pitcher high on baseball’s salary list.

Gooden’s agent, Jim Neader, intends to be at Port St. Lucie, Fla., today to finish the deal, which is said to be worth at least $15 million for three years, plus an option season.

Roger Clemens’ four-year extension through 1995 for $21,521,000 is the top contract in baseball at an average of $5,380,250 a season. Jose Canseco is second at an average of $4.7 million a year.

A source said that depending on how the option year is structured, Gooden’s contract could surpass that of Clemens annually.

The San Diego Padres on Sunday obtained pitchers Adam Peterson and Steve Rosenberg from the Chicago White Sox for infielders Joey Cora and Kevin Garner.

Peterson, a 25-year-old right-hander, was 2-5 with a 4.55 earned-run average in 20 games, including 11 starts, with the White Sox last season. Left-hander Rosenberg, 26, made six relief appearances in 1990 with a 1-0 record and 5.40 ERA.

Cora, 25, hit .270 in 51 games with San Diego last year.

Baltimore Oriole right-hander Ben McDonald will not make his scheduled opening day start because of elbow soreness.

The Chicago Cubs placed outfielder Dave Clark and infielder Domingo Ramos on unconditional release waivers, and the St. Louis Cardinals did the same with catcher Alex Trevino.

In exhibitions, Mark Gubicza, who will begin the season on the disabled list after off-season surgery, worked four scoreless innings and lowered his spring ERA to 2.08 in five games as the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-2. . . . Mel Hall keyed a five-run first inning with a two-run single and hit a two-run homer as the New York Yankees beat Baltimore, 9-2, before 57,359 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. . . . Eric Davis homered and drove in seven runs, leading Cincinnati past Detroit, 9-6. . . . Dante Bichette homered but his Milwaukee Brewers lost to Seattle, 7-6, in 10 innings.