General David Stearns said Burnes will enter the 2019 season as a starter, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Burnes appeared strictly out of the bullpen after earning a promotion to the big club in July, posting a 2.61 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 35:11 K:BB across 38 innings. One of the team's top young arms, the Brewers view Burnes as a starter moving forward despite his big-league success as a reliever. The 24-year-old posted a 4.96 ERA and 9.3 K/9 across 13 starts with Triple-A Colorado Springs last season before transitioning to a relief role. Burnes should enter spring training with a chance to break camp in the starting rotation.