Unless things have changed in the last 6 years, people are reading way too much into AMR keeping the airplanes.

When I was at Eagle, the majority of the a/c were owned by an AMR leasing company and leased to AE. Peter Bowler was president of said leasing company. So if it is still that way, AMR will continue to own the a/c and lease them to the new owners of AE if sold.