Yankees Trade Rumors: Royals' Michael A. Taylor Among Outfielders on NY's Radar

The New York Yankees are reportedly scouring the trade market for a new outfielder, with Kansas City Royals' center fielder Michael A. Taylor "among them," per Jon Morosi of the MLB Network.

The Yankees also have their eyes on Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi and Arizona's David Peralta as a "fallback" option if Benintendi's price goes too high, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Jon Heyman and Dan Martin of the New York Post reported Sunday that the Bronx Bombers "held talks about acquiring" Benintendi and are "conducting discussions with other teams about dealing away Joey Gallo."

Taylor, 31, won a Gold Glove award last year and would improve New York's defense, allowing manager Aaron Boone to work in more rest for the trio of Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks.

It would also give him the option to move Stanton back to the DH role more regularly. Stanton has played 34 games as an outfielder this season.

Given the all-or-nothing nature of Gallo (.166 batting average, 10 homers), adding another solid outfielder makes a lot of sense for the Yankees.

Taylor doesn't offer Gallo's power (five homers this season) but gets on base far more consistently, hitting .265 with a .342 on-base percentage. Gallo's on-base percentage (.288) this year has left plenty to be desired in the Big Apple, and is well below his career mark of .329.

More concerning, Gallo's OPS is sitting at just .629, compared to a career mark of .804. If he isn't hitting a homer, he hasn't been much help for the Yankees at the plate.

Benintendi, 28, would be a perfect addition for the Yankees. But he's been excellent this season, hitting .317 with three homers, 35 RBI and 35 runs, and his price tag may be rising.

That could make players like Taylor or Peralta more appealing as cheaper backup plans ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

If nothing else, expect the AL East-leading Yankees (61-25) to be busy exploring the market for another outfielder over the next few weeks as they look to round out the roster for a title run.