Carlos Beltran knows all too well how distracting retirement talk can be, as the 39-year-old was asked several times last season if it would be his final campaign.

The veteran put aside the retirement chatter and went on to split a fantastic season between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He has some advice for a former teammate, David Wright, who's fielding similar questions about the possible end of his career.

"He shouldn't be thinking about retiring," Beltran told Dan Martin of the New York Post. "If I'm him, I don't even think about retiring. You have to empty all your bullets before you retire."

The New York Mets third baseman is questionable for Opening Day after a shoulder impingement arose during spring training. He's rehabbing, but adding the injury to a list of ailments that already includes spinal stenosis and neck surgery isn't exactly promising news for the 34-year-old's baseball longevity.

Since the beginning of the 2015 season, Wright has only appeared in 75 regular-season games. He hit for a career-low .226 average across 164 plate appearances last year.

He's also still owed $67 million on his current contract, which runs until the conclusion of the 2020 season.

Beltran believes the longtime face of the Mets should go out on his own terms, and not until he's ready.

"There's always something new out there that you can try," Beltran explained. "I know the money is guaranteed, and if it's something where he can really hurt himself, then that's different. But if he's OK, you have to do everything you can try. I don't want someone or a team to tell me, 'You need to retire.' No, I retire on my terms. I empty my bullets. If I can't do it, then I'll consider it."

Over the course of his 13-year career - spent entirely with the Mets - Wright owns a .296/.376/.491 slash line with 242 home runs, 970 RBIs, and 196 stolen bases.

He's also a seven-time All-Star and the winner of two Gold Gloves.