I don’t know that you can run a conspiracy that because he got a 737 command in PER that a, he’ll be the HOTC, or b, that he’ll even return in the short term. A few years back the MEL Base Ops Manager was allocated a PER A330 slot. The theory being that’s the slot he’s in if he leaves the office role. He then got a MEL role. One of the other managers in SYD also has a PER 330 slot in last years list.
I’m not sure what AJ’s been up to at Network but I can think of worse people to become HOTC.