A group interested in bringing Major League Baseball to Nashville will meet with the commissioner's office next week as the next step in its efforts.

Music City Baseball LLC managing director John Loar and former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, chairman of the group's strategic advisory board, will travel to New York City to meet with MLB front-office personnel to discus the process of landing a franchise in Nashville.

"As you know, to reach the goal of securing an expansion team for Nashville the work begins now," Loar said. "By work, I mean building the foundation for the future."

Loar began discussing a plan in January to bring a major league franchise to the city, including a proposal for a new ballpark and mixed-use development on property near Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Titans, or the nearby PSC Metals scrap yard on the East Bank.

Loar has put together an advisory group that includes Gonzales, currently the dean of Belmont's law school, as well as Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin, former major league pitcher Dave Stewart and longtime major league manager Tony La Russa. The group has also launched a website, mlbmusiccity.com.

Mayor David Briley told Loar during a 2018 meeting that no public funds would be available to bring baseball to Nashville.

What MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said about expansion

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred last summer named Nashville as one of six cities the league is considering for expansion.

But Manfred said in MLB offices last week at the annual Associated Press Sports Editors Commissioners Meetings that expansion is not a front-burner issue for the league.

"I make more news than I want to make when I talk about individual cities," he said of his previous comments. "I’ve come to the conclusion ... that when I talk about individual cities, all of a sudden that produces some perception that that city somehow moved ahead in the process. There is no process."

Stadium issues with two current major league franchises must be settled before the league looks to add teams, Manfred said.

"Let me say this about expansion: There is, right now, no timetable for expansion other than I have to get Tampa and Oakland (stadium issues) resolved before we can turn meaningfully to that topic," he said. "We are fortunate; there are a number of cities in North America that are interested in having Major League Baseball, and at some point when Oakland and Tampa are resolved I would like to have a process that takes a really analytical look at those cities that are interested, the effect of expansion on our existing clubs, and make a good decision on whether we ought to go from 30 (teams) to 32."

As of last week, Manfred said he had not met with anyone from any group representing a possible future Nashville franchise.

What about relocation?

If Tampa or Oakland fail to resolve their stadium issues, the possibility that one or both of those franchises might move to another city could emerge. That could be another way Nashville could land a major league team

Manfred would rather that not happen.

"I’m proud of our history of a lack of relocation," he said. "I think it is reflective of a fundamental bond between our clubs and the communities where they operate. We ask a lot — 81 dates people have got to really want to be bonded to the team — and we recognize that. We’ve been very reluctant to move teams and disrupt that bond.

"Having said that, we can only go so long in a facility that is not of major league quality. ... There is a point in time we have to reach the conclusion that the community is no longer committed. I don’t think we’re there in either place."

A Tennessean subscription gets you unlimited access to the best inside information and updates on Nashville's professional sports teams, plus podcasts like Talkin Titans, newsletters and the ability to tap into sports news from throughout the USA TODAY Network's 109 local sites.

Reach Tommy Deas at 615-259-8328 and on Twitter @tommydeas.

Could MLB work in Nashville?:Is Nashville ready for a MLB franchise? Meet the man with a plan

Who is John Loar?:Five things you need to know John Loar, the man who wants to bring MLB to Nashville

Big crowd for exhibition:Fans show out as Sounds beat Texas Rangers in exhibition game