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White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he didn’t try to change Robin Ventura’s mind when the fifth-year manager told him in early September he was ready to leave the organization.

Ventura announced his departure Sunday after compiling a 375-435 record, including a 78-84 finish in 2016. Before introducing Rick Renteria as Ventura’s replacement Monday, Hahn said it was bittersweet to say goodbye to Ventura, a person who showed “class and character throughout his entire five-year tenure.”

But Hahn also said it was a “testament to his character” that Ventura was willing to recognize it was time for a change.

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“We all know this is a results-based business and none of us are pleased — front office, ownership, Robin and the players — with what the results have been over the last few years,” Hahn said. “I understood where he was coming from in terms of the best interest of the organization and needing time to make a change, and frankly understood as a friend from a personal standpoint where he was coming from.”

Crosstown commander: Hahn said the Sox front office has spoken in the past with Cubs President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer about Renteria, who managed the Cubs in 2014.

Hahn said he understands there might be a negative perception of a hiring a discarded Cubs manager, but he said it’s more important to focus on “hiring the best guy.”

“It’s ultimately far, far more damning if we had passed on him for that reason,” Hahn said. “That would strike me as extremely narrow-minded and cutting off our nose to spite our face, to turn our back on an extremely qualified candidate because he had previously worked for the Cubs or anyone in our division or a potential rival.”

Diversity among managers: Renteria becomes the only current Latino manager in the majors, and Hahn said the league is making diversity a priority.

“I know there are qualified Latino candidates out there, some of whom were on our master list of potential candidates and others of whom will likely get opportunities here in the coming weeks and months as things open,” Hahn said. “Our focus as an organization wasn’t necessarily on Latino or non-Latino. It was more on the best candidate for the position, and we feel strongly that we named the best candidate today.”

Renteria is bilingual, and while first baseman Jose Abreu said he didn’t have any trouble communicating with Ventura, he also said having a Spanish speaker as the team’s leader would make it a little more comfortable.

“He’s a nice guy too,” Abreu said through a team interpreter. “He knows a lot about baseball. He’s passionate about baseball.”