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Choo didn't force his way into the Ms lineup.  Why?
Neither did Mike Morse.  Why?
Neither did Adam Jones.  Why?
Asdrubal Cabrera ...
That's 4 actual major league talents that never got a real shot at playing in the majors while with Seattle. 
If you get a FA making one million on a one-year deal, yes a prospect can force his way into the lineup.  When you're spending $9 million a year for 4 years ... NO ... prospects will not definitely force their way into the lineup.  In point of fact, Sexson was lingering death for 2.5 years.  Figgins was lingering death for 2 full seasons, (with more time on the clock influencing what will actually happen on the roster).
The instant you commit significant dollars (and years) to a player, that position has a major, undeniable, unavoidable impact on your prospect development decision making.  If Ichiro was a 1-year rental getting a million to play in 2011 would he have continued playing every day in RF, or would Chiang or some other prospect been in there every day?
Guti is on a relatively inexpensive, but multi-year contract.  He got the bulk of the PT in CF ... not the prospects.  His PRODUCTION wasn't blocking anyone.
Think back ... when Bavasi came in there were 3 multi-year contracts signed ... Sexson ... Beltre ... Ibanez.  Which contract turned out best?  The most expensive one?  I don't think so.  But, if Ibanez had pulled a Sexson-esque swoon, he would'be been out of the lineup a LOT quicker than Sexson actually was. 
In truth, how did Carp get a shot in 2011?  Bradley and Langerhans were dumped.  Saunders, Peguero and Halman ALL had to fail -- and even then, Smoak had to hit the DL for Carp to get a shot to stick.  Carp did not "force" his way into the lineup.  He got a shot after a multitude of failures, combined with dumping the veteran deadweight ... and even then it took an injury to keep him up.
The simple truth is this ... prospects can only "force" their way up to AAA.  That's because there's no huge montery variable in play.  But, once you get huge multi-year contracts in play, your prospect development flexibility is altered.  That doesn't mean you cannot sign any big or long term deals.  But, you do have to accept that doing so WILL without exception impact your prospect development.
That 2001 116-win roster influenced prospect deveopment.  When you're committed to veterans, you trade away talent that is blocked by that veteran talent.  And only a couple of organizations have shown the capacity to actually take the risks associated with developing prospects once they have assembled a really good roster. 
It is HARD to let an Ibanez walk and take a chance on an Adam Jones, because if you're wrong, (and you will be wrong sometimes), such a move looks stupid in hindsight.  But, if you don't, your payroll will eventualy explode AND your ability to develop prospects will atrophy. 
So, you better get REAL good at developing prospects.  You better get way better than average at figuring out which prospects are going to work out.   You better have a good feel for what positions your farm is deep at (multiple chances) vs. weak.  And then, you can at the very least target FA contracts for positions you are unlikely to fill.  In that regard, DH is about the worst position one could fill first with big bucks and time.