| Transactions |
| Date | Team | Player | Type | OthTm | EffDate | When | Appl |
| 4/3/1979 | Det | Fidrych | Placed on Injured List | | | Before | Yes |
| 4/30/1979 | Det | Gonzales | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/1/1979 | Det | Staub | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/4/1979 | Det | Fidrych | Activated from Injured List | | | Before | No |
| 5/4/1979 | Det | Machemer | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/10/1979 | Det | Morris | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/10/1979 | Det | Young | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/24/1979 | Det | Arroyo | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/24/1979 | Det | Burnside | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/24/1979 | Det | Corcoran | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/24/1979 | Det | Fidrych | Placed on Injured List | | 5/24/1979 | Before | No |
| 5/24/1979 | Det | Gonzales | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/24/1979 | Det | May | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/24/1979 | Det | Tobik | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/24/1979 | Det | Underwood | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/25/1979 | Det | Summers | Acquired via trade | Cin | | Before | No |
| 5/25/1979 | Det | Taylor | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/29/1979 | Det | May | Traded away | ChA | | Before | No |
| 5/30/1979 | Det | Gonzales | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 5/30/1979 | Det | Putman | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 6/13/1979 | Det | Machemer | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 6/13/1979 | Det | Whitaker | Placed on Injured List | | 6/13/1979 | Before | No |
| 6/16/1979 | Det | Rozema | Placed on Injured List | | 6/16/1979 | Before | No |
| 6/16/1979 | Det | Young | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 6/28/1979 | Det | Arroyo | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 6/28/1979 | Det | Whitaker | Activated from Injured List | | | Before | No |
| 7/6/1979 | Det | Machemer | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 7/6/1979 | Det | Petry | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 7/8/1979 | Det | Mankowski | Placed on Injured List | | 7/8/1979 | Before | No |
| 7/10/1979 | Det | Brookens | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 7/20/1979 | Det | Greene | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 7/21/1979 | Det | Staub | Traded away | Mon | | Before | No |
| 7/26/1979 | Det | Chris | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 7/26/1979 | Det | Robbins | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 7/26/1979 | Det | Tobik | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 7/26/1979 | Det | Young | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 8/10/1979 | Det | Baker | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 8/10/1979 | Det | Tobik | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 8/27/1979 | Det | Hiller | Placed on Injured List | | 8/27/1979 | Before | No |
| 8/27/1979 | Det | Rozema | Activated from Injured List | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Baker | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Burnside | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Corcoran | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Gibson | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Gonzales | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Machemer | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Mankowski | Activated from Injured List | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Stegman | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/1/1979 | Det | Young | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/7/1979 | Det | Machemer | Demoted to reserve roster | | | Before | No |
| 9/8/1979 | Det | Peters | Promoted to active roster | | | Before | No |