I don't know about pressure or protection per se (no need to rehash that debate) but I think we can all agree that, relative to the last core, and to most good teams, the Phillies as currently constituted are at best a roster full of #6 and #2 hitters.
So yeah, they still need to find a couple of #3 and #4-types, whether it is internally or externally (and trade or free agency if the latter). I don't know if Franco was ever going to be that but he's certainly not heading that way at the moment.
It's not necessarily about youth either. Just look at 21 year-old Giancarlo Stanton. He didn't need anyone to take the pressure off him. Joey Votto was already Joey Votto when he had as many ABs as Joseph now has. It's not easy to just get all-stars if you haven't made any yourself, so you end up with Michael Saunders (who was actually an all-star, go figure. And was supposed to be an upgrade over last year's bunch). Or a longer rebuild.