3 former Cardinals players we'll be glad are gone, and 2 we'll wish stayed

We're glad Elehuris Montero is gone from the Cardinals.

Looking back on it now, it's insane that the Rockies insisted the Cardinals include Montero in a package for otherworldly third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Montero, alongside a few pieces who have yet to amount to much in Colorado, has since made his big league debut with the Rockies and frankly, hasn't looked like much.

He's always had significant power from the right side, and he does hit for high averages, but his patience at the plate is atrocious and many of his minor league numbers seem to be inflated.

In 53 games for the 2022 Rockies, Montero hit six home runs but struck out in 32 percent of his plate appearances and drew just eight walks in 176 at-bats. His defense at third base is also highly suspect, so much so that he will likely be moved off of the position in a year or two tops.

Much like Luke Voit and Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals fans have to sit back and ask themselves if they would've preferred these past few seasons with Montero as the club's everyday third baseman or Nolan Arenado.

Again, this is not much of a debate at all.

Since the trade, the 31-year-old Arenado has somehow gotten even better as a baseball player. Last year alone, he was worth 5.8 Offensive Wins Above Replacement (oWAR) and 2.3 Defensive Wins Above Replacement. He hit 30 home runs, drove in 103, posted a career-high 154 OPS+, and finished third in the NL MVP Award race behind Goldschmidt and ex-NL West rival Manny Machado.