Scouts to Watch Cuban Pitcher

The Angels might not be finished with free agents after all. They plan to scout Cuban defector Maels Rodriguez, a pitcher who has reportedly been clocked at 100 mph, in a workout next week in El Salvador.

Rodriguez, whose age is given as 24, impressed major league teams in an international tournament in Canada in 2001.

The workout should reveal whether he has lost up to 15 mph on his fastball, a claim Cuban officials made in explaining his failure to make the national team last year. His agent denies the claim.

The Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and New York Yankees are expected to be among the teams joining the Angels at the workout.

General Manager Bill Stoneman said the Angels have favorable but dated scouting reports on Rodriguez.

“We’d rather see him in games, but that’s not available to us right now,” Stoneman said.

*

The Angels will incorporate their logo into a new scoreboard beyond left field that features a 48-foot-wide video display, according to Daktronics, a South Dakota company that will install the new board. The $6.5-million deal will include an upgrade to the message board above the right-field seats and the out-of-town scoreboard along the right-field fence.

Shortstop David Eckstein and pitchers Jarrod Washburn and Ben Weber filed for salary arbitration Thursday. The players will exchange salary proposals with the Angels on Monday and could face the team in arbitration hearings in February, although contracts generally are settled before a hearing.... The Angels signed former Chicago White Sox catcher Josh Paul to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. He will compete with Jose Molina and Wil Nieves for the backup job behind Bengie Molina.... The Angels removed outfielder Gary Johnson from the 40-man roster, creating a space for newly signed infielder Shane Halter, but Stoneman said he expected to invite Johnson to camp on a minor league contract if he clears waivers.