Giants Notes: Leadoff, Payroll, Catcher, Rivera

Some Giants updates to ponder as we march on through the night, courtesy of MLB.com's Christ Haft:

• Brian Sabean said Monday that the Giants plan to use Eugenio Velez or Andres Torres in the leadoff spot for 2010. Yikes, neither is exactly a prime option for that role.
• Sabean says the payroll will be in the same range as 2009 — the low $90MMs. Haft says the Giants will need every penny due to the massive raise Tim Lincecum is about to receive as part of the aftermath of winning his second consecutive Cy Young Award.
• The Giants will not use Pablo Sandoval or Ryan Garko at catcher even on a part-time basis in 2010. Sandoval caught 11 games for the Giants in 2008, but Sabean and Co. would prefer not to expose their best hitter to the rigors of catching. Garko won the 2003 Johnny Bench Award at Stanford, but hasn't caught a game in his Major League career.
• Should the Angels land Jason Bay, the Giants might suddenly perk up and pursue an acquisition of Juan Rivera. Haft points out, though, that given Rivera's big-time production in 2009 and modest contract for 2010 and 2011, the asking price might be tough to swallow for the Giants.