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When pressed about Nolan Arenado and Jeff Bridich, Kristi Challman’s initial take — the stuff from her heart — was not, shall we say, printable in a family newspaper.

But when it came to the processing the shock, that the Rockies are finalizing a deal to trade Arenado, Colorado’s All-Star third baseman, a franchise icon, to the St. Louis Cardinals, it was her second comment that spoke for a lot of LoDo on Saturday. And a lot of the Front Range.

“The Monforts chose Bridich over Arenado,” Challman sighed from her table at Blake Street Tavern on Saturday, just a few blocks from Coors Field, lamenting Dick Monfort, the Rockies’ owner/chairman/CEO, and Bridich,

the franchise’s general manager, in the same breath.

“I don’t blame (Arenado) for leaving. He actually made the choice that he needed to make for himself, because he was treated like (crud). And it’s unfortunate. And we not only did that, but we gave away a boatload of cash.”

She paused.

“Are we the Houston Texans of baseball? What are we doing?”

According to reports that surfaced late Friday, the Rockies have agreed in principle to a trade that would send Arenado — a five-time All-Star and eighttime Gold Glove winner, a slugger who hit .293 and slugged 235 home runs over eight seasons with Colorado — to St. Louis, along with $50 million, in exchange for a package of prospects yet to be announced.

While it was a moment many Rockies fans have anticipated for more than a year after Arenado aired his grievances with Bridich publicly, it still left the locals stunned and saddened.

Especially in LoDo, where Arenado’s name is emblazoned on seven of the 17 purple banners honoring individual Rockies achievements that hang outside Coors Field.

“It almost feels like the same thing that happened with Matt Holliday or Troy Tulowitzki,” said Darin Fischer, a Broomfield native and an assistant bar manager at Blake Street Tavern, referring to two other former Rockies stars who were shipped out of town.

“As a Colorado person, it’s really tough, because you just hate to see wasted talent … we have no problem bringing in talent. It’s keeping it.”

As of late Saturday morning, replica Arenado jerseys were still selling at full price inside the Rockies team store on Blake Street.

But a few yards away, at least one Colorado fan who asked not to be identified by name — let’s call her “Jessica” — worried that the trade would further alienate a fan base that’s been losing interest in the franchise over the last two years.

After consecutive playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018, the Rockies have posted a combined record of 97-125 (.437) the last two seasons, finishing fourth place in the National League West both years.

“You don’t see people walking around here in Rockies stuff anymore,” she said.

“Jessica” was working late Friday

night in LoDo when the news hit.

“Actually, my boss posted something about ‘Fire Brigard,’ or whatever,” she said.

You mean “Bridich?”

“Bridich. Right. And I’m like, ‘Why did he post that?’ Then you’re like, ‘Oh.’ ”

And welcome to life as a Texans fan.

“All I can think about, after the horrible year-and-a-half we’ve had, is going to a Rockies game,” Challman said. “That’s all I want to do this summer, is go to a Rockies game. But now I’ve got to go there and without Nolan Arenado, who’s the best player we’ve ever had? Why would I want to do that?”