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"If weaker bats need those big bats in the lineup..."
FAIL!!
Sorry, but no. There is no evidence...read this very slowly and a second time for emphasis...*ZERO EVIDENCE*...that there's any such thing as "line-up protection other than for the absolute best of hitters (Edgar Martinez, Albert Pujols types...not Jason Bay types). And there's even LESS evidence that slap hitters are likely to ever...EVER benefit from hitting in front of a power hitter. You cannot argue that the Mariners all hit worse than normal because there was no big bopper to "protect the weaker bats" if the evidence suggests this effect is a myth.
I have therefore completely ignored the rest of your post as it all follows from a logically false supposition.