How would you fix qualifying offers?

Though Ubaldo Jimenez has signed, there are still several players out on the market feeling the sting of the qualifying offer. In particular, you have to feel a little bit bad for Stephen Drew, even if he is attracting some attention at last. He looked like he was on his way to becoming one of the top shortstops in the game after a breakout performance in 2010 but he ended up battling injuries that severely hampered his performance at the end of 2011 and through the first half of 2012. He then got shipped away from the organization that drafted and developed him late in the 2012 season and hit free agency without much hope of landing anything better than a one-year deal. He got that one-year deal with the Red Sox and became a key contributor for Boston as they marched their way from last place to a World Series Championship.

Drew was practically everything Boston hoped he would be in 2013. He hit .253/.333/.443, played solid defense at short and even though he didn't completely avoid injuries, he remained healthy enough to play 124 games. It was enough to endear him to manager John Farrell and to get the Red Sox to chance a qualifying offer, but at this point, it doesn't appear to be enough to land him a deal that reflects his potential value. He made the most of the pillow contract the Red Sox gave him and for his trouble he has been rewarded with a tour through qualifying offer purgatory.

Misguided as the concept seems now, the qualifying offer was created with noble intentions. It was meant to give teams a chance at hanging on to a key player or, failing that, to earn draft picks to make up for the loss. The teams benefiting are the richest instead of the poorest and while the offer has little effect on the top tier of free agents, it is clearly hurting the market value of the guys in the middle. Something needs to be done. How would you fix this mess?

Breakfast Links 2/19:

Capuano discussing deal with Red Sox, Mariners

The lefty could start or work in relief depending on where he goes.

The Good, the Bad, and The Ubaldo

A man who signs Ubaldo to a $48 million deal, he understands nothing about Ubaldo.

Jeter vs. History

Those who don't know their Derek Jeter are doomed to repeat him... or something .

Robinson Cano, Yasiel Puig, and hustling down the line

Playing baseball is a little bit like trying to win over a girl that you like, you have to find some kind of comfortable middle ground between pretending you don't care at all and crazy-eyed obsession. Sadly, in both baseball and in love, only a small percentage ever strike the right balance.

Yu Darvish: Yankees paid 'too much' for Tanaka

Don't worry, he was just joking. What he really meant to say was, "Holy $#!+, I'm underpaid!"