Sports in Brief: Tigers sign Sanchez for five years, $80M

The Detroit Tigers on Friday agreed to a five-year, $80 million deal with righthanded pitcher Anibal Sanchez, according to agent Gene Mato. The Tigers, who typically will not announce a signing until the player has passed a physical, declined to comment.

If the numbers are true, Sanchez's contract is bigger than that of ace Justin Verlander, who signed a five-year, $79.5 million contract three years ago.

Sanchez was considered the No. 2 pitcher available on the market, behind Zack Greinke, who recently agreed to a six-year, $147 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sanchez, 28, was a part of Detroit's four-man rotation that led the franchise to the World Series this year. He had a 1.77 ERA in 20-plus innings over three postseason starts, but was 1-2 because Detroit was shut out in each of his losses.

The Tigers acquired Sanchez in July from Miami along with second baseman Omar Infante for righthander Jacob Turner and two minor-leaguers. He was 4-6 with a 3.74 ERA in 12 regular-season starts for the Tigers.

The Yankees and Kevin Youkilis have finalized their $12 million, one-year contract, giving New York a third baseman for the first half of next season while Alex Rodriguez recovers from hip surgery. The deal with the three-time all-star had been agreed to Tuesday, pending a physical, and the Yankees announced it Friday.

SKIING: Four-time overall World Cup champion star Lindsey Vonn has told People magazine that she has struggled with depression. In the latest issue of the magazine, the 28-year-old said her depression became acute in 2008.

"I couldn't get out of bed. I felt hopeless, empty, like a zombie. I couldn't even cry any more," she said. Her then-husband, Thomas Vonn, encouraged her to seek treatment and she saw a doctor and was prescribed an antidepressant. She said her life seemed perfect, but "behind the scenes, it was a struggle."

Vonn told the magazine she's happier these days.

SNOWBOARDING: In competition in Telluride, Colo., two-time Olympic champion Seth Wescott won his first World Cup snowboard cross event in four years in a photo finish over Alex Pullin of Canada. In his second race back since a season-ending knee injury in January, Wescott exchanged leads with Pullin four times in the finals before edging him out at the finish.

Wescott's win, in a blizzard, was his first World Cup victory since December 2008 in Arosa, Switzerland. Canada's Dominique Maltais defeated teammate and Olympic champion Maelle Ricker in the women's race.

SOCCER: MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy traded forward Edson Buddle to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a first-round supplemental draft pick in 2013 and allocation money. Buddle is a World Cup veteran with 93 career goals in Major League Soccer, and was the runner-up for the MLS Golden Boot in 2010.

SWIMMING: Olympic star Ryan Lochte broke his own world record in the 200-meter individual medley at the short-course world championships in Istanbul. He celebrated by giving his medal to a boy in the crowd. "To see that smile on that little face means everything to me," Lochte said.

He finished the eight laps in 1 minute, 49.63 seconds. Daiya Seto of Japan won the silver in 1:52.80, and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary won the bronze in 1:52.80. Lochte set his earlier record of 1:50.08 at the last short-course championships - in Dubai in 2010, when the American won six gold medals and one silver.
- Wire reports