If your employer has a corporate contract with a corporate TA, have your friend, not you, handle this through the TA. Otherwise, have your friend, not you, handle this through AA. The universe of people who can do this is narrowed with QIK, but it's there.

The specific request is whether AA will authorize overbooking (not overselling) by one for a full Y fare. Your friend is as likely to get it as you are to get it for him and having you in the middle is unhelpful at best.

Whether RM will spring for the overbooking will largely depend on how overbooked the flight is now and how things look. If it's at -20, forget it. If it's at -1, better shot.