There is some belief that the San Francisco Giants have an edge in the bidding for Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, according to a report.

The 45-day negotiating window for Yamamoto expires at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 4. 

Yamamoto will not attend the Winter Meetings in Nashville this coming week, but is expected to begin meeting with teams face-to-face next week.