Seventh Nevin?

Twins pick up hitting help:

The Twins on Thursday acquired designated hitter Phil Nevin and cash from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later, opting to add offense because they couldn't find pitching help.

Nevin, 35, opened the season with the Texas Rangers but was traded to the Cubs on May 31. Overall, he's batting .245 with 21 homers and 64 RBI. He batted .346 in August with three homers and nine RBI in 52 at-bats. His best season was 2001 with San Diego, when he batted .306 with 41 homers and 126 RBI.

"We were struggling scoring runs," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. "This is another bat you can put in there. He can hit the ball over the fence.

"I think it's important for the players to give them another piece. We have been playing good baseball for a long time. These players have been playing their hearts out."

And Twins fans have been tearing their hair out watching the pathetic production the club has been getting from the DH spot.

The Twins designated hitter spot has been in shambles all season. The club signed Rondell White for the spot, but a poor start and stints on the disabled list to rehab his surgically repaired shoulder have ruined his season. He hit only his fourth homer of the season Thursday, to go with a .215 batting average and 28 RBI in 76 games.

I'm not sure if too many fans are going to agree with Ryan's attempt to spin the disaster that is Rondell White:

"This is not an indictment on Rondell," Ryan said. "We just ended up going out and getting a guy with some power."

Two questions. If replacing a DH with a "guy with some power" isn't an indictment of his performance, than what is? And why hasn't White been indicted, prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to exile long ago?

Ryan said it is up to manager Ron Gardenhire to determine how Nevin is used.

How about early and often, beginning with this weekend's series in New York? With the Twins throwing Silva, Baker, and Garza against the Yankees depleted, yet still powerful lineup, they're going to need all the power hitting they can get. And, as was obvious as early as April, Rondell White ain't goin' to be the guy to provide it.

UPDATE-- Rod e-mails to rain on my parade:

You haven't seen pathetic production from a DH until you see Nevin in the Twins' lineup.

The only good thing about Nevin's stay with the Rangers is that we got him in the Chan Ho Park trade.

C'mon, he can't be that bad. He's hitting a whole thirty points higher than White.