the braves were not then a small market. they were top 3-5 payrolls starting in 1994 (started 93 7th, and ended the season 4th). for 94-2000, they were mostly w/in 10% of top payroll, and always w/in 20% (contrast with rays, who even in their highest payroll year were doubled by several teeams, and have been consistently triple payrolled by NYY and BOS— in their own division). In contrast, from 94-2000, only twice were the braves not the highest opening payroll in the entire NL, and never lower than second. This helped them manage to keep the great pitchers they had AND manage to surround them with productive to good to excellent players on the rest of the roster, part of the reason why they could run off that impressive record of playoff appearances.