1- Not really since I didn't reply to your initial post but to a latter post in the thread.
2- if you want to talk about the four teams specifically, I'd say only the Orioles used the "Tank" strategy. The Pirates are the more old fashioned bad and cheap model and the Brewers and Rays have been doing this for years.
3- As for the payroll stat...it's a mildly interesting statistical blip.