Between 1986-2013, the Kansas City Royals had a grand total of zero postseason appearances. A once-proud franchise had embarrassed its fans and itself for nearly three decades. However, in 2014, everything changed. The team was 90 feet from extra innings in Game 7 of the World Series and is competitive again in 2015.

They got even more competitive when they reportedly acquired ace Johnny Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Now the team has the ace they so desperately coveted. The move is as important symbolically as it is logistically.

Royals fans remember vividly when the team was in the same position as the Reds back in 2010 when they had to trade ace Zack Greinke as the team tried to rebuild. The result of that rebuilding effort is the current Royals team, which is far from a cellar dweller.

Now the Royals are the team trading for an ace at the deadline, not the one trading away its own. Sure, the 2014 playoff run was exciting, but many within the game viewed it as a team getting hot at the right time. This year, however, KC seems like a powerhouse.

This is a result of a marked culture change that Kansas City has undergone in less than a calendar year. Cueto is the crowning achievement of this movement as it shows other teams they’re ready to keep contending for World Series titles.

It also tells other teams how desperate they are to contend for another World Series title before some of their stars become free agents in the next few years. Nobody should worry about that for now, though.

For now, the Royals are the buyers, not the sellers, which is a welcome change. With Cueto on the mound for them in October, they would openly welcome a change from last season’s playoff run as well.