Why would you move the guy with the .483 OBP down in the order? If anything he goes higher up. Lee is pretty much the perfect #2 hitter right now. That would get him a few extra PA over the course of the season from his current #3 slot... and his 1.000+ OPS demands all the plate appearances he can muster.
Contraction wouldn't solve a bloody thing. We complain too much as is about good ballplayers not getting jobs at the major league level. Reducing the job pool would only exacerbate the situation.
Who's John Dewan? Author of The Fielding Bible and baseball statistics guru/luminary. He's a candle in a bag??? That's one meaning. Merriam-Webster's first meaning though is "a person of prominence or brilliant achievement."