The changing of the grades was explained in detail on this very forum and had zero to do with saving face or making the trade look better or anything like that. You literally said "rather than take the L and admit they didn't have the players valued correctly, they went in and changed them after the fact." Um, isn't changing them an admission that they did in fact have them wrong? If they knew they were wrong, why on earth would they stubbornly keep the same valuation? It's not like the player valuations just ended after the trade. They didn't value them "retroactively." Their trade value estimate changed based on the market. If Kelley Blue Book says your car is worth $15K and one thousand cars of your type sell for $13K, the valuation will change because that is the price they are going for. It makes perfect sense that player values would be adjusted because of what the real trade market says they are worth and it doesn't have anything to do trying to make themselves look better. The trade value site is a nice tool for those who take it for what it is, a best guess current estimate based on the knowledge they have, and don't expect it to be valuation gospel. I'd trust/respect them less if they didn't change their estimate based on some macho need to avoid "taking the L."