So how many years in a row did the payroll go up? 1999it was 16.4 million, had a dip after Hunter and Santana were gone, and proceded to go up until the 2011 season. So thus the team has not always cut payroll. So using your line that if a team has acted in a certain way, you would expect them to act the same way. After 2008, they attempted to add talent in Joe Crede, Orlando Cabrerra. Payroll went up. Next year they resigned Pavano