Yea, AA is obsessed with segments. Sure, the rare person might have a plan on their layover (I once met my biological father for the first time) but most people not using SkipLagged just want to get to the final destination as close to the same time and duration as possible.

The way the systems work for same-day standby/confirmed, rebookings, and often (but not always) the volunteer to miss your flight in advance option, it really just likes people to go leg for leg on the same plan. In this instance, for once, humans beat computers.