Seriously, fixing this is pretty easy. Pay players more during years 0-6. That's it. Whether it's starting arb after year one/two, or increasing the minimum to be in the millions, etc. Teams would still be getting insane amounts of surplus value, while the players get paid more than $500k a year for the first three years. Then by the time free agency comes, the players may have already made $50m+, and may not be as adamant about the 10/300 type deals since they were paid reasonably during their primes.
Clark is the worst. Not sure how he keeps his job. Free agency isn't the problem. If teams are getting smarter about aging curves, then you can't force them to overpay for diminishing returns. But you can force them to pay more during years 0-6, and that better be Clark's focus, or he's a moron.
On another note, I'm glad the Jays are rebuilding for 2022. The lockout will happen after 2021, so once again, impeccable timing.