"Scherzer and agent Scott Boras had initial difficulty negotiating a contract with the Diamondbacks; as such, Scherzer did not sign the summer he was drafted.^[9] Instead, Scherzer began his professional baseball career with the Fort Worth Cats of the independent American Association. He stated that "It was my decision" and "I've never second guessed it.”^[7] He appeared in only three games for the Cats, in which he pitched a total of 16 innings, earning a 1–0 record with 25 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.56.^[10]"