Oakland Athletics GM, Billy Beane, was asked if starting pitcher Ben Sheets would be on the trade market before July 31, Beane said, “I don’t want to comment on individual players but, in our situation, I don’t anticipate us being that active at the trade deadline.”

Beane and the A’s not being active for the July trade deadline? Isn’t July what Beane craves for? Isn’t this his Christmas?

According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Beane does not seem eager to move more key prospects since the team relies heavily on their farm system.

Beane said, “We want to have some kind of momentum. We have young players (he cited several, including Cliff Pennington, Daric Barton and Gio Gonzalez), and it’s important where we’re at right now, regardless of where we end up, to make the second half meaningful.”

Beane has previously said that he like the influence that the veteran Sheets is having on his younger players. By keeping Sheets, whose contract expires after this season, the A’s potentially are leaving some prospects from another team on the table.