The problem for REX is that it now cannot afford to be "just another rung up the ladder". Come next year, REX will litterally be fighting for it's survival. The fact that REX management haven't understood the nature of the pilot shortage will go down as a complete corporate failure. The cause of which was there for all to see, but the obvious solutions were nonetheless ignored.
Don't get me wrong, your points about the role(s) of the regional pilot are noted. However to simply let irreplaceble pilots walk out the door without so much as trying to hang on to them is IMHO nothing short of gross negligence.
If I'm wrong and REX can continue to recruit sufficient numbers of pilots with the required experience, then I will happily admit to such. If I'm right, and the supply cupboard is truely bare, then REX is screwed!