Kendall Signs $336,000 Contract With Pirates : Baseball: It is believed to be the richest contract the National League club has ever given a draft choice.

Torrance High catcher Jason Kendall, a first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, signed a contract with the club Tuesday night and will leave Sunday for Bradenton, Fla., to begin playing in the Gulf Coast Rookie League.

Sources close to the National League team told the Associated Press that Kendall’s signing bonus was worth $336,000, believed to be the richest contract the club has ever given a draft choice. Kendall said the contract also includes the cost of a college education. He expects to play in the Gulf Coast League only a few weeks, after which he will play for Welland, N.Y., of the New York-Penn Summer Class-A League.

St. Bernard outfielder Brian Richardson, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Dodgers, signed a contract last week and has reported to Bradenton in the Gulf Coast League. He is projected as a third baseman.

El Camino College outfielder Andre LeVias, a 10th-round draft choice of the Chicago White Sox, signed with the team last week.

Other South Bay players who were drafted but have not made decisions include Harbor College catcher Rene Lopez (Minnesota Twins), El Segundo catcher Jeff Poor (Dodgers), St. Bernard shortstop Grant Hohman (Philadelphia Phillies), Redondo shortstop Jay Uhlman (Toronto Blue Jays) and Mira Costa pitcher Joel Garber (Houston Astros).

Kendall said he was offered a chance to go immediately to the New York-Penn League but chose to go to the rookie league in order to become acclimated with professional baseball.

“It’s something I’ve looked forward to since I was a kid,” Kendall said. “I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do something I love to do.”

When Kendall joins the Welland team, he will compete against his father, Fred, who is managing the White Sox’s Utica franchise in the New York-Penn League.

“Being away from home will be an adjustment, but I’ll just play it by ear,” Kendall said.

Kendall led the South Bay with a .549 batting average (45 for 82), 14 doubles and eight triples, and ranked second with 39 runs batted in. Kendall was the Pioneer League player of the year and The Times’ South Bay Player of the Year.

Lopez, who is recovering from knee surgery, said he will travel to Minneapolis later this month to meet with Twins’ personnel and be examined by team doctors. He was drafted in the eighth round.

“All the doctors have told me that my recovery is going very well,” Lopez said. “I haven’t made a decision yet, I’m still up in the air over whether to go to college.”

Lopez has a baseball scholarship to NCAA champion Pepperdine. The Twins are the reigning major league champions.

“Either way I can’t go to a bad place,” he said.

Poor, who was disappointed at being a 47th-round selection of the Dodgers, said he is leaning toward attending the University of Texas in the fall. He can sign with the Dodgers at any time until he begins college.