Watching the Yankees move along in the postseason is a reminder of the work that lies ahead for Craig Breslow, the Red Sox chief baseball officer, as he tries to build a playoff contender.

On NESN’s 310 to Left podcast last week, Breslow vowed that the team’s approach this winter would be with a much more short-term goal in mind.

“We can no longer ask our fans to look to the future to think about a Red Sox team that’s capable of winning the division and capable of making a deep postseason run,” Breslow told me. “I think, instead, we have to talk to decisive actions that we’re taking right now to put a better team on the field in 2025.”

Three of the four teams still in the playoffs had top-five payrolls this season (the Cinderella Guardians are the exception.)  Spending money doesn’t guarantee winning, but it helps. There’s been a lot of talk of trading prospects to shore up the pitching staff this offseason, but if the Red Sox want to return to their past glory, they will have to spend money in the free-agent market as well. There are top-flight starting pitchers available, and that would be a good place for Breslow to begin his decisive actions.

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Sunday’s Patriots loss was one of the ugliest in a while. But it had New England fans buzzing with excitement.

That’s the impact rookie quarterback Drake Maye had in his first NFL start. He threw three touchdown passes, more than Jacoby Brissett had thrown in the first five games of the season.

Count me among the people who thought the Patriots should’ve waited one more week to hand the reins to Maye. Next week’s game is against the Jaguars (a weaker opponent) in London (where the QB wouldn’t have felt any pressure from the hometown fans.)

Now I’m wondering if they waited too long. Maye is only going to get better. He showed a glimpse of what he can do when he starts moving, leading the team with 38 rushing yards and proving to be an elusive threat. He seemed to get more confident as the day went on.

Let’s hope the porous offensive line can protect him enough to continue that growth. He was blindsided and fumbled on the second play of the third quarter. Too many hits like that might lead a young signal caller to get skittish in the pocket.

If he stays healthy, he’ll be fun to watch. Which is more than we can say about the rest of the 1-5 Patriots.

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Matthew Poitras was back on the ice Saturday afternoon as the Bruins beat the Kings 2-1 in overtime at the Garden. The 20-year-old, who had his rookie season shut down early after February shoulder surgery, played in his 34th career game and looked like the type of poised young player who can be a difference-maker for the Bruins.

“I thought that was the best game he’s played as an NHL player,” said coach Jim Montgomery after the game.

Poitras looked bigger, stronger and more confident than he did in his first NHL games last season. He was Boston’s third-line center Saturday but was on the ice when David Pastrnak ended the game in OT. It’s easy to daydream about what Poitras can do alongside the Bruins’ top forwards in the future.

For now, Montgomery will undoubtedly take his time with Poitras. He was nearly three years younger than any other player on the Bruins roster Saturday. The Bruins would be wise to bring him along slowly.

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The second annual Maine Strong Memorial Softball tournament was held this weekend in Lewiston and Auburn. A sellout field of 48 teams took part.

The foundation was established in the days following the mass shooting in Lewiston last October to honor the legacy of the victims of that horrific day.  Two of those victims, Joe Walker and Ron Morin, were heavily involved in the Central Maine softball community. The foundation will continue to provide temporary financial relief to Maine families touched by unexpected tragedy.

Last year’s tournament was the first day many people in Lewiston-Auburn got to forget about the tragedy and enjoy the company of a community shocked by the shooting. This year’s event, held two weeks before the anniversary of the event, was a reminder that the people of the city refuse to be remembered for the worst day in the proud history of the city.

While the event is over, the foundation continues to accept donations at mainestrongfoundation.org.

Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN.