Do the math
DD, I suggest you do an analysis of what you will earn in the next 5 years and see where you are wrt to your outlay for a TR. Say you pay it off in the 5 years, what is your net going to be?
Then figure out what you might have earned going Lord underpants route. Lets see a few years instructing, you'd get what 15K a year if you were very lucky, a year of charter a not much more and then a big break, flying a twin turbo prop at maybe 25K a year. You'd might gross in 5 years what you'll get in year 5 at FR.
5 years from now you will have 3-4 K in 738 time, maybe some command time. What price will you command then, particularly if you will travel? Lots of posts on here from people with thousand of TP hours who can't get a look, you won't be one of them.
Fact is you made a very smart move paying for your TR and getting on to jets early. You are setting yourself up for life. If I was a young guy starting out that is exactly what I would do.
You correctly pointed out it is not the entrants who set T&C, its the market. The senior guys on the inside might have some leverage but would they use it to help the newbies? Hasn't happened yet and I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it.