Max Fried reveals conversation with legend Roger Clemens during Yankees Spring Training debut

New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried made his spring training debut on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Steinbrenner Field. The southpaw pitched 2.1 innings allowing two hits, two runs, one walk, and two strikeouts.

Fried, who signed an eight-year, $218 million contract during the Winter Meetings in Dallas, was spotted having a conversation with Yankees guest instructor Roger Clemens in the dugout.

After the game when a reporter asked about it, Fried revealed what the conversation was about.

"Just talking about pitching and my outing and things that he had seen and any opportunity that I can get to talk to someone that had the career that he had. I'm all ears," Fried told reporters.

Fried also mentioned that the presence of Yankees icons like CC Sabathia and Ron Guidry at the camp has been insightful for him.

"It's special," Fried said. "There's a lot of really, really talented Yankee legends being able to come back and share their knowledge and time. Whatever I can do to soak up as much as I can, I'm going to do the best I can."

Fried also mentioned that Clemens gave him several pieces of advice about game sense and focusing on one pitch at a time.

“It was really cool to be able to sit there and pick the brain of a guy that’s won seven Cy Young [Awards],” Fried said via MLB.com. “You sit and listen to whatever he has to say. The fact that he was able to sit and watch and give me some feedback on things he saw, and just pitching in general, it’s really special.”

Yankees manager assesses Max Fried's performance

The Yankees made Max Fried the recipient of the biggest contract inked by a southpaw and the fourth biggest for any pitcher. Therefore, he will have a lot on his shoulders to live up to the billing.

After his performance against the Pirates, Yankees manager Aaron Boone offered his views on him, saying it was a nice step forward.

“The stuff was really good; he was up to 97 [mph], and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s a little hot there,’” Boone said. “I think he flashed a little bit of everything. You saw the good curveball, the good changeup. So I think it was a really good step for him.”

Max Fried threw 49 pitches, out of which 31 were strikes. He also mentions that on Opening Day, the pitch count he is looking forward to will be between 80-90.