Dodgers Sign Another Left-Hander : Baseball: Lee Guetterman follows Wally Ritchie as club looks to provide balance in bullpen.

The Dodgers, seeking to add a left-handed pitcher to their bullpen, signed Lee Guetterman to a minor league contract Wednesday and invited him to spring training.

Guetterman, 34, pitched for the New York Yankees and the New York Mets last season, and had a 1-1 record with a 9.53 earned-run average in 15 appearances, primarily in middle relief. In eight major league seasons he is 35-31 with a 4.37 ERA and 23 saves in 345 games.

“Lee will be given an opportunity to compete for a spot on our pitching staff,” said Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president. “He has proven he can be an effective left-hander out of the bullpen.”

Since the club did not offer contracts to left-handers John Candelaria and Bob Ojeda, the only left-hander remaining is reliever Steve Wilson. Left-handed reliever Wally Ritchie will also be competing for a spot. Right-handers Todd Worrell, Roger McDowell and Jim Gott compose the rest of the bullpen.

“For us, it was a basically a question of left-handed pitchers in the bullpen and wanting to get as many people as we can there who have a chance to make the club,” Claire said. “With Lee and Wally Ritchie, we can be in a position to protect ourselves and hopefully add to the bullpen from the left side.”

Guetterman began his career as a starter with Seattle in 1984. In 1987, he was 11-4 with a 3.81 ERA in 25 games. He spent four years with the Mariners before being traded to the Yankees as part of a five-player deal that sent outfielder Henry Cotto to Seattle.

His best season as a reliever was with the Yankees in 1989, when he was 5-5 with a 2.45 ERA in 70 games and had a career-high 13 saves. Last June 9, he was traded to the Mets for Tim Burke and cash considerations. With the Mets, he was 3-4 with a 5.82 ERA and two saves in 43 relief appearances.