I guess it could have been worse.

Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz could have stunk in the regular season and the playoffs.

So, maybe Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes had a point when he offered an extremely charitable evaluation of their seasons at a news conference last month.

Gomes hailed the money-suck tandem’s improved play in two postseason series as a major triumph for the Dodgers.

“That’s a pretty good outcome for us,” Gomes said.

The Dodgers committed $240 million to Tucker, only for the right fielder to finish the regular season with a .233 average.

They spent $69 million on Díaz, only for him to register an 8.68 ERA in an injury-ravaged season.

To be fair to Gomes, part of his argument was that the Dodgers were able to win their division and secure a first-round bye in the playoffs with Tucker and Díaz performing like bargain-bin free agent signings. He pointed to how their contributions helped the Dodgers advance to the National League Championship Series.

Regardless, shouldn’t the Dodgers have expected more in return from their $309 million investment?

They will certainly need more next year.

Tucker and Díaz weren’t signed to be complementary players or players who would be pleasant surprises if they performed well. They were signed to be part of the team’s foundation.

Especially next year.

Whenever the upcoming lockout ends, teams expect greater cost-control measures to be in place, whether it’s with a salary cap or some other mechanism. In theory, the new financial restrictions would prevent the Dodgers from spending their way out of their problems. Under the current rules, they could upgrade their roster by signing another high-priced hitter or reliever. But if the next collective-bargaining agreement doesn’t permit that, Tucker and Díaz will have to do what they are being paid to do.

Gomes pointed to October as why he thinks they can serve their intended purposes.

Tucker was the Dodgers’ leading hitter in the playoffs with a .333 average. His .938 OPS was also the highest on the team.

Tucker’s home run against the Braves in Game 1 of their National League Division Series broke a 1-1 tie and sent the Dodgers on their way to a 5-3 victory. Tucker’s seventh-inning walk in Game 4 loaded the bases to set up a two-run single by Andy Pages that accounted for the runs that decided the game, and, by extension, the series.

As for Díaz, he regained his role as the team’s closer, recording the final outs of the Dodgers’ wins over the Braves in Games 3 and 4 of the NLDS.

“While the regular season did not go the way anyone expected, their contributions in the postseason were massive,” Gomes said. 

Both of their turnarounds started in the regular season. Tucker batted .333 with five home runs over his last 17 games. Díaz missed three months recovering from an elbow cleanup and was sidelined another month with a neck injury, but pitched in five games in September and recorded five scoreless innings.

Gomes was hopeful their late-season rebound could carry into next season.

The left-handed-hitting Tucker was expected to provide balance to the aging lineup. For most of the season, Tucker didn’t adequately support the team’s other left-handed-hitting threats. Shohei Ohtani was slowed down by his efforts to return to the mound full time. Freddie Freeman was handicapped by knee problems. Max Muncy played a reduced role in the playoffs because of his troubles hitting left-handed pitching.

The playoffs showcased how a dependable version of Tucker could change the offense. Over time, he proved himself to be the team’s most reliable left-handed hitter. In the Dodgers’ last two games, Tucker batted fourth and fifth, respectively.

With Freeman now 37 and Muncy 36, the Dodgers will count on Tucker to be that kind of presence again next season — but for a longer period.

Díaz will be expected to anchor a bullpen that will have to be rebuilt.

A number of the team’s most established relievers can depart this offseason as free agents, as Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Kris Bubic are out of contract.

Being able to lock in Díaz as the closer will simplify the process of breaking in new relievers. Manager Dave Roberts would be able to deploy the team’s other arms under the most favorable conditions without worrying about having to save one of them for the ninth inning.

“Edwin being fully healthy and Kyle having a year to adjust and continue to build off what he did toward the end of the season, the same thing with Edwin, we’re really looking forward to next year with those guys,” Gomes said.

Even if Gomes continues to be a soft grader, they will have to be better next year. They will have to deliver more than “a pretty good outcome.”