Transactions listed are from November 1 of previous year to April 1 of the following year.
The Baltimore Orioles traded Steve Brodie and Jim Donnelly to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Elmer Horton, Tom O'Brien, Jake Stenzel and Harry Truby.
The Cincinnati Reds traded Chauncey Fisher, Germany Smith and $1,000 to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms for Tommy Corcoran.
The Chicago Colts drafted Nixey Callahan from Kansas City (Western) in the 1897 rule 5 draft.
The Cleveland Spiders purchased Jack Powell from Ft. Wayne (Interstate).
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms drafted Claude Ritchey from Buffalo (Eastern) in the 1897 rule 5 draft.
The Cincinnati Reds purchased Claude Ritchey from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms for $500.
The St. Louis Browns purchased Lou Bierbauer from the Pittsburgh Pirates. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)
Milwaukee (Western) purchased Adonis Terry from the Chicago Colts.
The Louisville Colonels purchased George Hemming from the Baltimore Orioles.
The Baltimore Orioles released Sadie McMahon.
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms signed Sadie McMahon as a free agent.
The Boston Beaneaters signed Mike Mahoney as an amateur free agent.
The New York Giants traded General Stafford to the Louisville Colonels for Ducky Holmes. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)
The New York Giants released Jake Beckley.
The Cincinnati Reds signed Jake Beckley as a free agent.
The Philadelphia Phillies traded Bill Hallman, Dick Harley and $300 to the St. Louis Browns for Tommy Dowd.
The Philadelphia Phillies traded Kid Carsey and Mike Grady to the St. Louis Browns for Ed McFarland.
The Washington Senators purchased Tommy Tucker from the Boston Beaneaters for $2,000.
The Louisville Colonels released Jim Rogers.
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Jim Rogers as a free agent.
The Louisville Colonels purchased Honus Wagner from Paterson (Atlantic).
The Boston Beaneaters purchased Fred Lake from Kansas City (Western).
The Boston Beaneaters released Mike Mahoney.
The Boston Beaneaters signed Bob Allen as a free agent.
The Cleveland Spiders released Henry Clarke.
The Baltimore Orioles purchased Frank Kitson from Burlington (Western Association) for $1,000.
The Louisville Colonels purchased Tommy Leach from Auburn (New York State) for $650.
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased Jimmy Sheckard from Brockton (New England). (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)
The New York Giants traded Dad Clarke and cash to the Louisville Colonels for Tom McCreery.
The Boston Beaneaters purchased Charlie Hickman from New Castle (Interstate).
The Washington Senators purchased Roger Bresnahan from Lima (Ohio State).
The Louisville Colonels signed Rube Waddell as a free agent.
The Philadelphia Phillies purchased Kid Elberfeld from Richmond (Atlantic).
The Boston Beaneaters traded Fred Lake and $1,000 to Syracuse (Eastern) for Vic Willis.
The Washington Senators purchased Bill Dinneen from Toronto (Eastern).
The Washington Senators released Billy Lush.
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased Ralph Miller from Fall River (New England).
The Washington Senators released Effie Norton.
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased Jack Ryan from Syracuse (Eastern).
The Washington Senators purchased Butts Wagner from Toronto (Eastern) for $8,500.
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased Joe Yeager from Lancaster (Atlantic).
The St. Louis Browns purchased Jack Crooks from Columbus (Western).
The St. Louis Browns purchased Pete Daniels from Columbus (Western).
The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Elmer Flick from Dayton (Interstate) in the 1897 rule 5 draft.
The Boston Beaneaters drafted Bill Keister from Paterson (Atlantic) in the 1897 rule 5 draft.
The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Wiley Piatt from Dayton (Interstate) in the 1897 rule 5 draft.
The Cincinnati Reds purchased Harry Steinfeldt from Detroit (Western). (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)
The Chicago Colts drafted Walt Woods from Springfield (Eastern) in the 1897 rule 5 draft.
The Louisville Colonels sent Rube Waddell to Detroit (Western) as part of a conditional deal.
The Philadelphia Phillies traded Jack Clements, Lave Cross, Tommy Dowd, Jack Taylor and $1,000 to the St. Louis Browns for Monte Cross, Red Donahue and Klondike Douglass.
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded Pink Hawley, Elmer Smith and $1,500 to the Cincinnati Reds for Bill Gray, Jack McCarthy, Billy Rhines, Pop Schriver and Ace Stewart.
The New York Giants traded Jim Donnelly, Ducky Holmes and $3,500 to the St. Louis Browns for Mike Grady and Fred Hartman.
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms traded George Shoch and $1,000 to the St. Louis Browns for Bill Hallman.
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded Joe Sugden to the St. Louis Browns for Morgan Murphy.
The Washington Senators traded Gene DeMontreville, Dan McGann and Doc McJames to the Baltimore Orioles for Doc Amole, Jack Doyle and Heinie Reitz.
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded Jim Hughey and $1,800 to the St. Louis Browns for Bill Hart.
The Chicago Orphans signed Frank Chance as a free agent.
The Louisville Colonels traded Bill Hill to the Cincinnati Reds for Red Ehret, Dummy Hoy and Claude Ritchey.
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased Tommy Tucker from the Washington Senators for $800.