Some possibility.

Mesa is too small right now, I don't know where the exact break-even point is for a regional as far as RJ's vs. minimum required overhead but I think they have to be pretty close to it. Between management, Mx, training, FAA required 121 stuff, SEC required stuff, etc a 121 airline's overhead can only be downsized to a certain point. If the fleet shrinks below that point, then your overhead per jet is non-competitive. Mesa might have more value to a purchaser than to themselves because a buyer would gain routes and jets, but just roll them under their existing overhead system.

On the other hand, OJ and his cronies would probably be rapidly phased out by any imaginable purchaser, so for their own job security they might not go down that road. Unless they think they can get a massive stock deal out of the transaction...

IMO a sale would good for the mesa pilots. They would almost certainly get a better boss, workrules, and pay and their SLI would be protected by recent federal legislation (no staple).