DALLAS — This time, Mookie Betts has a full winter to prepare for shortstop, and the Dodgers are confident he’ll be able to do it.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said on Monday that the plan is for Betts to play shortstop, further specifying after last month’s declaration only that he’d play “infield.”

“He’s ready for the challenge,” Gomes said. “He feels like with a full offseason, he can go and tackle that. He’s one of those guys that I certainly wouldn’t bet against.”

Betts, a six-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield, was moved to second base last winter. Midway through spring training, however, the Dodgers decided to move Betts to shortstop because of Gavin Lux’s throwing issues at that position.

Betts made nine errors in 65 games at shortstop before fracturing his left hand. When he returned two months later, the Dodgers moved him back to the outfield. That’s where he remained through their World Series championship.

Now that they’re moving Betts back, Gomes said he is already working hard at cleaning up the problems he had at shortstop last season.

“If you look at all of the most challenging parts of the position, he does really well,” Gomes said. “Where he struggled was throwing. You go watch him in right field; it’s one of the best arms in the game. It’s incredibly accurate. So those things that are most challenging to teach — getting off the ball, range, making exceptional plays, his pre-pitch timing — he nailed those.

“It was really syncing up his throw from that because he’s been so used to the outfield. So I think that’ll be the majority of his work. Making sure, how does he access what is an elite arm and having that translate to the infield.”

By locking Betts into shortstop, that settles Lux at second base and versatile Tommy Edman in center field, Gomes said.

OUTFIELD MOVES

The Dodgers made a run at Juan Soto, who ended up agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets.

“Soto is an incredible player, and they got one of the best hitters in the game for a very long time,” Gomes said. “As we do with everybody, we do our due diligence and make sure that nothing is assumed as far as where guys are going to be. I think they got a great player, and I’m assuming we’ll be battling the Mets for years to come.”

Manager Dave Roberts said: “I know we were in there, but I think that obviously there were some other teams that are even more motivated, but what a great player.”

Roberts also said he was shocked that it took just a year to break the record the Dodgers set last year by signing Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million deal, with heavy deferrals. Soto’s reported deal has no deferrals.

“I certainly didn’t see that happening, period,” Roberts said. “Very surprised. I think like all of us.”

Just before the news of the Soto deal hit, the Dodgers reportedly agreed to a one-year, $17 million deal with outfielder Michael Conforto. Neither Gomes nor Roberts could talk about that deal on Monday because it’s not official.

The two were also each asked about outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who is a free agent the Dodgers are still trying to bring back.

“Obviously, I’m a huge fan of Teo,” Roberts said. “We have a great relationship. I thought, his words, he loved everything about being a Dodger, and I’m always going to be a Teo fan. ... Obviously, Teo has put himself in a very good position as a free agent and had a very productive year. So he’s got some decisions to make as well. He’s going to kind of suss those out.

“It would be hard for me not to see him coming back.”

Ohtani won’t pitch in opening series

The dream of having Shohei Ohtani make his return to the mound in Japan is not going to happen.

Although it was widely assumed after Ohtani had left shoulder surgery that the rehab would prevent him from being ready to pitch for the Dodgers’ season-opening series March 18-19 in Tokyo, manager Dave Roberts confirmed it in the strongest words to date on Monday.

“Very unlikely,” Roberts said during his press conference on the first day of MLB’s winter meetings. “I just don’t see us starting the clock in March to then think that we would keep that continuously going through October.”

Ohtani is expected to be ready to hit for that series against the Chicago Cubs.

Once Ohtani had surgery to repair his left shoulder in early November, it became apparent that it would be unlikely for him to be ready to pitch by mid-March.