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I suspect most "uber" fans understand there are "control" ramifications depending on when a player is brought up to the majors.  And it is certain that all 30 MLB clubs understand this, also.
But, I think it naive in the extreme to mistake the reality that "team control" is *A* variable to consider with the perception that is *THE* variable that supercedes all others.  I don't believe this is true for ANY club -- even the most miserably run organizations in baseball.
The error is in thinking any personnel decision is made based on only a single variable.  NONE of them are.
Smoak wasn't sent down "because he had a 23/1 K/BB ratio in his first month with Seattle.  He was sent down because of that AND because he still had options AND because Kotchman was still on the roster AND because Branyan finally got healthy AND because the farm team was making a playoff run AND because of any number of scouting reports/opinions that were passed along to Z.
Some might ask "should" the "club control" card be a variable -- and the answer is a resounding YES!  But, no - it should not override every other variable.  And, just because a club makes a choice to put a kid back in AAA doesn't mean *THAT* was the reason they did so. 
Good organizations have plans -- "Let's put A + B + C together, etc., etc., etc."  But, good organizations change plans routinely based on changes in the variables in question.  Atlanta was *PLANNING* on sending Heyward to AAA to start 2010.  But, he was hitting as good or better than most of their long time vets in Spring Training - so they altered the plan.
I'm sure Seattle has a plan for 2011 - "Smoak starting at 1B -- Ackley starting in Tacoma".  And that is a fine plan for November.  Come March, maybe that plan changes.  Maybe Smoak comes up with a bad hammy - and Carp hits 1300 during ST.  Maybe Ackley gets a case of the yips at 2B during ST.  Maybe Tui hits up a storm in ST, (A - GAIN!). 
When you've got a roster where you're paying $200 million to your regulars, you can KNOW who your lineup is before ST begins.  When you've got one regular making more than $5 million, you'd have to be a moron to *THINK* you knew who every starter was going to be.