Smoke signals

• For the second spring in a row, veteran Jason Giambi agreed to come to camp with the Indians as a non-roster invitee. Like last year, it would not be surprising to see the 43-year-old slugger make the Opening Day roster as a pinch-hitter and part-time designated hitter.

"Guys have to be able to help us win games," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "G showed that last year, in a number of different ways. Like everybody else, we're tying to get G ready for a long season. That's our goal in Spring Training. We want G to help us."

• There has been some debate this spring about whether the Indians will open the season with seven or eight relievers in the bullpen. Francona likes having as many arms in the fold as possible, but the manager is not about to tip his hand this early in camp as to the club's thinking.

"We haven't named anybody," Francona said. "I don't even know how many we're going to carry. It's just way too early to start thinking about spots. Those things will all work themselves out as camp goes. We haven't even played a game yet, let alone make a cut yet and things like that."

• Indians closer John Axford believes pitching in the World Baseball Classic for Team Canada last spring played a role in his diminished velocity with the Brewers last April. Axford is glad he doesn't need to decide about whether to take part in the event again until 2017.

"I don't know," Axford said about potentially playing in the tournament in the future. "I still have a few years to think about that and see where my health is and how I feel in that moment. If I do take part, I'll definitely prepare myself better and differently than I did last year."

• Five of the Indians' Spring Training games will be aired on MLB Network in Cleveland this year. MLBN will broadcast Tribe games on March 15 (at White Sox at 12 a.m. ET), March 23 (at Angels live at 4 p.m. ET), March 24 (at Reds live at 4 p.m. ET) and March 29 (at Padres at 10 a.m. ET and at Padres live at 4 p.m. ET).