Hi, jstarr
I joined this site last year when I started looking for replacement pots and pans, as it looks you have. I prefer a saute pan if I'm cooking something that splatters a lot because it has higher sides. It also has a lid that fits, whereas a skillet you have to make do. Last weekend I cooked some sausage, hamburger, various veggies, and added some spagetti sauce all in the same pan, my saute pan. I grab it when I don't know exactly how much stuff I'll be adding or if I may want to cover it a while while cooking.
I'll still grab a skillet for certain things and have three of those (2 SS and 1 nonstick). Lighter, easier to flip stuff, they don't have helper handles. They're just a smaller beast and sometimes I'd rather use a skillet, even for pork chops, which do tend to splatter.
That said, a few months ago I still thought I needed an inbetween pan and picked up a nonstick, wok type pan with a lid. It has it special uses, too, but it doesn't have the flat surface area of the others, so I wouldn't grab it if I was going to cook 4-5 pork chops or something I wanted to make a gravy from.
That's my thoughts anyway!
edited to say my 12" skillet does have a helper handle