Justin Timberlake Joins Group Aiming To Bring MLB Franchise To Nashville

Justin Timberlake has reportedly joined an effort to bring Major League Baseball to his home state.

In an exclusive interview with the Tennessean, Timberlake confirmed his involvement with the Music City Baseball group, which is attempting to acquire a team for Nashville.

"I am thrilled to be involved in the movement to bring Major League Baseball to the great state of Tennessee,” Timberlake said in a statement. “I believe in Music City Baseball’s vision of linking baseball and music in a unique way to unite and entertain people and I am excited to help generate awareness throughout the community as we share our vision for bringing MLB to Music City.”

Timberlake, a Memphis native, has served as a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies since 2012. Music City Baseball group already includes several members with strong baseball ties including three-time World Series champion Dave Stewart, former Boston Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski, businessman John Loar, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, Baseball Hall of Famer Tony La Russa and Negro Leagues Baseball museum president Bob Kendrick.

The group intends to present an official expansion proposal to MLB during the 2021 Winter Meetings, which will be held in Nashville. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has previously expressed interest in expanding the league from 30 to 32 teams, but is expected to delay those plans while the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays continue to seek approval for new stadiums.

In 2019, music City Baseball group proposed stadium plans that focused on the area near Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans.

"Presently, we are focusing on a tract of land owned by the City of Nashville on the East Bank of the Cumberland River near Nissan Stadium," the group said in October. "We envision that the baseball stadium, which will serve as a sports and entertainment venue, will be part of a mixed-use family sports and entertainment district."

Commissioner Manfred first mentioned Nashville as a possible expansion option in July 2018. Music City Baseball group said it is aiming to bring an MLB franchise to Nashville by 2024.

"During this time, we intend to secure a major investor or assemble a group of investors who can cover the buy-in fee," MCB's website said. "There will be no public money used to finance the stadium."

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