The Orix Buffaloes will hope taking right-handed pitcher Kazuyuki Kaneda from the Hanshin Tigers as compensation for the Tigers signing former Buffalos outfielder Yoshio Itoi in free agency ends up being a productive outcome for the loss of such a talented player, but history isn't really on their side.
Kaneda is 26, and nowhere near worth the current value Itoi represents. Still, it's possible playing in a different part of Osaka ignites his career. If it does, Orix's move will represent one of the few times the human compensation portion of NPB's free agency rules will have worked out for the team being compensated.
Under the current rules, which were altered in 2008, teams losing an A- or B-ranked free agent are entitled compensation from the signing team in the form of a straight cash payout or less money and a non-protected player from the signing club's roster.