The much-needed big bat continues to elude them, but the Sox are close to plugging a few more spare parts into the 2009 machine, including Rhode Island’s own Rocco Baldelli, seen in the photo above getting his Ray LaMontagne on, and eternaBrave John Smoltz.

We always like to see the “local” guys wearing the uniform, and as suckers for comeback stories of any kind–at least those that don’t involve Roger Clemens–we’re rooting for a healthy Rocco.